Savvy Student`s Guide 2016 - Office of Programs for Study Abroad

Savvy
Student’s
Guide
2016
How to Make the Most of Your
Study Abroad Experience
Savvy Student’s Guide
Revised Edition
Inside:
Useful Addresses
Academic Matters - Page 1
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Academic Policies
Registering for Study Abroad
Pass /Not Pass Policy
Choosing Courses
Securing Course Approval
Posting Grades
FAQ Courses and Grades
Academic Success Abroad
Practical Considerations - Page 11
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Travel Documents
Financial Issues
Cell Phones, Computers, Email
Keeping a Journal
Packing Pointers
Travel Tips - Page 27
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Planning Your Itinerary
Before Your Overseas Flight
Arrival Strategies
Vacation Travel
Health and Safety - Page 33
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Your Safety is Our Concern
Insurance Coverage
Emergencies Abroad
Students With Special Needs
Staying Healthy Abroad
Staying Safe Abroad
Purdue policy on safety and
security
A Successful Experience - Page 45
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Managing on your own
Culture shock
Re-entry challenges
Marketing your international
experience
Job Strategies While Abroad
Foreword
Office of Programs for Study Abroad
So you are going to study abroad! Well, fasten
your seatbelt — you are in for an exciting ride.
Your study abroad experience will be one of the
highlights of your years as a Purdue student and
its influence will likely stay with you long after you
leave the university. Our hope is for you to really
make the most of your time abroad. You have invested quite a bit of time, effort, and money into
this endeavor; you might as well make the experience a worthwhile investment. To do so however would mean being conscientious with
your pre-departure preparations, taking advantage of opportunities that come your way
while you are overseas, anticipating challenges and developing effective coping mechanisms, and then reaping the rewards of cross-cultural learning, traveling, and making
friends with people from all over the world.
There will be, of course, the inevitable bumps and bruises along the way. But don't lose
heart (and your sense of humor)! Being in a new and strange environment is always a little
disconcerting but we are confident you have what it takes to overcome seemingly daunting
situations. Just approach each one with an open mind. Go with the flow. Realize that frustrations are part and parcel of the journey. Learn from each mistake or embarrassing moment. Celebrate the novel and diverse perspectives you'll discover along the way. After all,
why bother even studying abroad if you are unwilling to expand your cultural horizons and
learn more about the world and its people. As Dr. Seuss stated so wittily:
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You're on your own and you know what you know.
You are the guy who'll decide where to go. ...
Out there things can happen and frequently do
To people as brainy and footsy as you!
- From “Oh the Places You’ll Go!”
This handbook was written to help you prepare for your time overseas. It explains the academic policy governing the study abroad program at Purdue, and provides information
about securing travel documents, packing efficiently, staying healthy and safe, handling
finances, taking photographs, keeping a journal, and everything you need to know (well,
almost) before boarding that plane. We hope you will find it useful.
Happy travels! Take care! Stay in touch! And make Purdue proud!
-The Study Abroad staff
USEFUL ADDRESSES
Office of Programs for Study Abroad
155 S. Grant St.
Study Abroad Phone / Voice Mail: (765) 494-2383
Young Hall 105
Study Abroad Fax : (765) 496-1989
Purdue University
Study Abroad Email: studyabroad@purdue.edu
West Lafayette, IN 47907
Study Abroad Web Site: www.studyabroad.purdue.edu
Study Abroad Emergency Number: (765) 494-8221
(Purdue Police Department Number)
Financial Aid Information
Division of Financial Aid
General Phone: (765) 494-5050
1102 Schleman Hall
Favors Automated System: (765) 494-0680
Room 305
Direct Phone Counseling Line: (765) 494-0998
West Lafayette, IN 47907-1102
Fax: (765) 494-6707
Webpage: http://www.purdue.edu/dfa/
Passport applications forms and submission at:
U.S. Post Office (State Road 26 branch in Lafayette)
http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
ISIC (International Student Identity Cards)
http://www.isic.org/
NOTE: ISIC card entitle students to benefits like supplemental insurance and discounts on airfare, museum fees, communication, accommodations, and restaurants in over 100 counties. For about $20, the card can easily pay for itself after only a
few uses. However, the ISIC will not have the same benefits in all countries so check if the card is really going to be useful
for you before purchasing.
Recommended Student Travel Site:
http://www.statravel.com
http://www.studentuniverse.com
U.S. State Department Smart Traveler Enrolment Program:
https://step.state.gov/step/
Language Tutorial:
http://www.studyabroad.purdue.edu/students/WorldLanguage.cfm
Travel Sites (for comparing fares and booking travel while you are overseas):
http://www.flylc.com/directall-en.asp
http://www.trivago.com/
http://www.kayak.com/flights
http://www.attitudetravel.com/
http://www.momondo.com/
http://www.easyjet.com/en/ (Europe)
http://www.ryanair.com/ (Europe)
http://www.clickair.com/ (Spain and Continental Europe)
http://www.tigerairways.com (Asia and Australia)
http://www.airasia.com (Asia)
Other useful travel websites:
World travel guides:
http://www.wordtravels.com/
http://www.worldtravelguide.net/
http://www.timeout.com/
Hostels:
http://www.hostelworld.com/
http://www.hihostels.com/
Travel in Asia:
http://www.thingsasian.com/tahome.html
Europe city cards:
http://www.europeancitycards.com/
Trip Tools:
http://www.amadeus.net/home/triptools/index_gb.html
http://www.azworldairports.com/
Country calling codes:
http://www.countrycallingcodes.com/index.php
World time zones:
http://www.timeanddate.com/
Academic Matters
Revised Edition
Academic Matters
Page 1
The “Study” in Study Abroad
Studying abroad involves attending to
academic matters before you leave for
your overseas destination and for the
duration of the program. While we
certainly want you to have a wonderful
time, we also would like you to do well
in your studies and make progress
toward your degree.
By default, students who study abroad
will receive direct Purdue credits (credits and grades) for courses
in an academic area approved for that study program. Consequently, it is important to choose (a) a study abroad program that
has approval in the academic area in which you wish to receive
credits and grades, and (b) to choose courses that are equivalent to the courses specified on your Purdue plan of study. You
also need to know the “rules of the game,” i.e., maintaining fulltime status, securing course approvals, working with a study
abroad liaison, and others.
This section discusses study abroad academic matters, including a summary of your most common concerns. Many of the
topics have been already covered in the first briefing session,
online orientation, intercultural presentation, and meetings with
your study abroad advisor. If you have additional questions not
covered in this handbook, feel free to email your study abroad
advisor.
Academic Policies and Regulations
feit your financial aid, scholarship and international
health insurance if you take fewer than 6 credits for the
summer, 12 credits for the semester, or 24 for the academic year.
Study Abroad participants are subject to the same
academic regulations and policies in place at Purdue’s
West Lafayette campus . Before you leave, make sure
you have read the Academic Integrity Guide and are
familiar with your college’s study abroad academic
policy and your academic unit’s degree requirements.
ALERT: It is Purdue policy to abide by the host institution’s
minimum credit policy which is some cases exceeds Purdue’s minimum requirement.
In addition, students are also expected to comply with
regulations governing study abroad participation.
Make sure you understand what these are and the consequences
that will result if you fail to adhere to them. Below is a summary of
Purdue policy governing your participation in the Study Abroad
program.
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Participation Form and Deposit. Students accepted to the
study abroad program must complete and return the Participation Form and remit a study abroad deposit to hold their
spot in the program. A student’s offer of acceptance could be
withdrawn unless both are turned in by the deadline stated
on the official Study Abroad acceptance letter.
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“Statement of Responsibility“ Form. Before departure, all
participating students must sign a document indicating that
they accept the conditions under which they will participate in
their Study Abroad program. The agreement is a contract for
the period of the program, carrying with it legal, financial, and
other obligations. You should read this agreement carefully
and understand its terms. Students whose parents claim
them as a dependent on their tax forms must have their parents sign the agreement as well.
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Full-time Student Status. Students on a Purdue study abroad
program must maintain full-time student status. You will for-
 Student Conduct. Students remain enrolled at Purdue University while studying abroad and therefore are subject
to the university’s rules and regulations. Realize also that the
host university or program organizer has primary responsibility
for discipline in connection with violations of any rules and regulations in place at the host institution. Generally, misconduct
abroad may be defined as any situation in which participants
have compromised academic integrity, jeopardized their own
welfare, that of their fellow participants or the program, or have
willfully violated the host university regulations or the host country’s laws.
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Probation. Students cannot be on academic or disciplinary
probation the term before they go overseas. If a student lands
on probation, his or her participation in the program will be
cancelled, no matter if the student has already completed all
requirements and logistical arrangements with the study
abroad host institution.
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Course Approval. Study abroad participants must seek approval and/or obtain course equivalency for ALL courses they wish
to take. The steps involved in securing course approval are
discussed later in this guide.
Academic Matters
Page 2
… continued Purdue Academic Policy
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Direct Credits. By default, credits and
grades earned abroad in fields that have
been approved by specific academic
departments at Purdue count as direct
Purdue University credits (credits with
grades) and calculated into the student’s
G.P.A. Study Abroad coursework is evaluated according to the criteria of the host
university or study abroad program.
Overseas grades will be converted to
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Purdue’s letter grade system according
to a standard international grade conversion scale.
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Grade Adjustments. There shall be no
grade adjustments for courses earned
abroad unless the host university or
study abroad program acknowledges that
a student was given an incorrect grade
and a revised transcript sent.
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Transfer Credits. Students will receive
transfer credits (no grades) if they take a
course in a field that has not been ap-
proved for direct
credits for that program. It will be up to
the student’s academic department to
decide how the credits will be used to
satisfy graduation
requirements.
Pass / Not Pass Option. A Purdue student accepted into a Purdue-approved
study abroad program may choose the
P/N option for courses approved for
direct credit for that program. The P/N
option for courses completed abroad
follows the Purdue University regulations for P/N grading option for courses
completed on the Purdue campus.
This option is consistent with the description of the Pass/Not-Pass Option,
Grade and Grade Reports, Student
Regulations.
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Withdrawal from a Program. Students
are expected to remain at the host institution until the last day of the program
and all coursework and examinations
are completed.
Withdrawal from a Purdue Study
Abroad program should be considered
only after consultation with the program
coordinator, who, in concert with responsible parties at Purdue, will design
a proper course of action. Withdrawal
may mean not only financial loss but
also the loss of a semester’s or full
year’s credit. Students who decide to
withdraw from a program must inform
the host institution, the Purdue Office
of the Dean of Students, and the Study
Abroad Office in writing (e-mail is acceptable) immediately .
Registering for Study Abroad at Purdue
You will remain
enrolled at Purdue
for the duration of
the time you are
studying abroad.
This ensures that
you will receive
Purdue credits for
courses you take at your host institution,
eligible to apply for a Study Abroad scholarship, and that you can apply financial aid for
your overseas studies. Thus, it is imperative
that you know the procedure for registration
if you are a study abroad participant.
Study abroad registration involves the following:
First, before your time ticket schedule, get
your PIN from your academic advisor.
Second, at the designated time when you are
eligible to register, go to “My Purdue.”
Choose “Study Abroad” from the Subject drop
-down menu. Under “Course Number,” type
the SA number of your study abroad program.
Note the CRN number. If there are multiple
listings under the SA number for your program, check each listing’s program dates.
Choose the one that corresponds to the
program you are doing. Proceed with the
rest of the registration procedure.
Third, confirm your registration. After registering, you will receive a fee statement from
the Purdue Bursar. Don’t let your Purdue
registration get cancelled! Make sure you
pay your balance in full and confirm your
registration through MyPurdue.
If your registration is cancelled, you will
need to pay a late fee before you can be
reinstated.
The SA course number will remain on your
Purdue academic record for the duration of
your time abroad. This holding number will
be replaced by specific Purdue course
equivalents, credits, and grades after the
Study Abroad Office receives your official
transcript from the host institution and the
grade transfer process is initiated.
NOTE: This section describes Purdue’s
registration system only. Your host university or study program will have its own
registration procedure. You will receive
registration instructions in the ac-
ceptance materials from the host institution. Pay attention and make sure you
are registered at both Purdue and at
your overseas program
NOTE 2: You are registering for a HOLDING NUMBER only! The SA number will
remain on your Purdue academic record
until we receive the transcript from your
host institution and Study Abroad can
start the grade and credit transfer process. Once this process starts, the SA
number will be replaced by specific
course numbers, course titles, credits
and grades.
Missed your time ticket
schedule?
Don’t worry. You can always try
for the “Open Registration” period.
Because there is no enrollment
limit for SA courses, you cannot
be closed out of a study abroad
course.
Page 3
Academic Matters
Assessments and Grades
Each student on a study abroad
program is required to take all examinations as scheduled by overseas faculty. Under no circumstances may students shorten the
length of their program by making
special arrangements with overseas professors or program coordinators. Only illness, with accompanying evidence of a health official,
is considered a legitimate excuse for missing a final examination.
No incompletes (INC) are permitted for
overseas courses. You must make every
effort to fulfill all course requirements before you return to the United States.
Students participating in an official Purdue
University study abroad program will receive direct credits (credits and grades).
The good news: everything will count and
you should make appropriate progress on
your degree program. The “bad” news: You
will have to work, and in all likelihood, work
harder in order to maintain your
desired GPA. There is no grade
inflation abroad. Furthermore,
courses are structured differently. Frequently, there are no
quizzes, homework or attendance checks but the course
grade will rest on one comprehensive final exam. Students
find that they have to put forth
more effort if they hope to get good marks.
There will be no grade adjustments! Grades
you receive for your overseas program
transfer to Purdue according to an internationally recognized standard grade conversion scale. So know what to aim for and
check out the grade conversation scale
university study at your host country using
these scales:
http://www.wes.org/wes_tools/index.asp
http://www.foreigncredits.com/resources/gradeconversion/
So be prepared—do not expect the modest
grades you earned from abroad, that could
have earned you an A at Purdue, to be
bumped up, no matter how much effort you
put into your courses.
In addition, you also should know also that
in many cases, receiving an “A” from an
overseas university is going to be very difficult, if not downright impossible. For example, students who earn a 65 at a university
in the UK will earn an A on their Purdue
academic record. But don’t be lulled into
thinking earning a 65 will be a breeze as
the grading standard is much more stringent in the UK than it is at Purdue.
Make sure you are familiar with the
academic system at your host institution. Ask former study abroad participants their advice for how you can
find success in the classroom.
Choosing the courses you will take overseas
By the time you apply and are accepted to a
study abroad program, you should have a
pretty good idea of the courses that will be
offered at your host institution, the courses
you will, can, or want to take, and the degree
requirements these courses will fulfill (major,
minor, elective, general education). If you
have yet to work out a plan of study for your
time overseas, then you’d better get going!
Ideally, the first step is to discuss your study
abroad plans with your academic advisor.
With your advisor, you can go over your Purdue degree requirements to determine specific courses or categories of courses (i.e. Western Heritage, Gender Studies, or Technical
electives) you should or can take overseas.
Your advisor can also inform you of your department or college policy governing studying
abroad. For example, some academic departments do not permit students to take core or
upper-division major courses overseas. Others have recommended courses or preferred
programs. Some departments even have
developed a specific study plan for students
who want to incorporate study abroad in their
degree program. Make sure you are aware of
departmental restrictions
regarding courses you can
and cannot take overseas.
Once you know the specific
courses or categories of
courses you need, you could
go online to your program’s
website for the course listings. Get the course descriptions of the
courses you think correspond to the Purdue courses on your list or courses in the
area in which you wish to study. By all
means, ask your academic advisor if he or
she is willing to offer guidance in helping
you develop a tentative study plan.
While you should confer with your academic advisor about your plans to study abroad
and work out a tentative study plan, he or
she is not authorized to designate the Purdue course equivalent of an overseas
course. For official course approval, you will
have to consult the appropriate Study
Abroad liaison.
the Purdue equivalents of the
courses you wish to take abroad.
They will also help you finalize
your study plan by recommending
courses that are suitable replacements for your Purdue degree
requirements. When you meet
with a liaison, be ready to discuss
your study abroad program, the
Purdue requirements you hope to complete,
and the courses offered by your study
abroad program. If you bring your computer
to the meeting, be ready to pull up the program website or bring copies of the course
descriptions for the courses that interest
you.
The list of Study Abroad Liaisons can be
found here:
http://www.studyabroad.purdue.edu/
students/liaisons.cfm
NOTE: In some cases, your academic advisor is also the study abroad academic liaison for the area in which you want to take
Study Abroad Liaisons are faculty members courses.
or academic advisors who will designate
Page 4
Academic Matters
Examples of study plans:
Proposed study plan for a Management major who plans to take major courses and complete a Spanish minor while participating in the CIEE-Seville Business and Society Program in Seville, Spain.
Purdue University Courses/Requirements
CIEE-Seville Business and Society Program courses
SPAN elective
Intensive SPAN for Students of Bus and Econ (required of all participants)
SPAN 302
SPAN 3002 Advanced Spanish
SPAN 241
LITT 3501 Short Stories in Spain and Latin America, or
LITT 3104 Cervantes and El Quijote, or
LITT 3103 Women Writers in 20th Century Spain
SPAN minor electives (300-level and up): take any 2
OBHR requirement
HISP 3001 Flamenco in Andalusia: Culture, Language, Music, and
Dance, or
CINE 3101 Contemporary Spanish Film, or
HIST 3101 20th-Century Span Political History, or
SPAN 4002 Art and Fiesta: Andalusia and her Popular Traditions
ECON 3008 Euro Corporate Org, or
BUSI 3104 Managing Multinational Workforces
BUSI 3101 International Marketing
International Marketing requirement
ECON 3002 European Economy
Economics requirement
Management elective (open)
BUSI 3106 Leadership and Power in the International Business Environment
Proposed study plan for a Communications major, who plans to spend the spring term at Uppsala University, Sweden.
Purdue University Courses/Requirements
University of Uppsala (Sweden) courses for spring
Global Perspectives
Conflicts: Regional Contexts
(SOC 342: Sociology of Peace and War?)
New History of Central and Eastern Europe
(HIST 327: Central Europe 1500-2000?)
History Requirement
Nordic History
Swedish History
The History of Empire…1500-2000
Natural Sciences
Structure and Evolution of Stars
(Phys 220: General Physics?)
Social Ethics
Political Philosophy and Christian Social Ethics
Com 324: Intro to Organizational Com
Organizational Communication
Com 352: Mass Communication Law
Regulating Media and Communication
These examples demonstrate why it is crucial to secure course approval / course equivalencies. The student will know which Purdue
requirements can be satisfied by courses he or she takes abroad.
Academic Matters
Page 5
Securing Course Approval / Course Equivalency
should
abroad.
ALERT: Do Step 4 as early as possible since liaisons’ schedule
sometimes fill several weeks in
advance.
“take”
Questions to ask your academic
advisor:
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What degree requirements
do I have left to complete?
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Are there particular requirements you recommend I take abroad?
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Do I have major/minor courses that I
should not complete overseas?
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I am participating in a study abroad
program which will not offer courses
in my major (show course list), what
elective or GenEd requirements do I
have left on my plan of study?
Questions to ask the study abroad
academic liaison:
I have copies of course descriptions for courses I am considering
taking while abroad. Do these
courses meet any of the degree
requirements my academic advisor
and I listed?
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Sample of a completed Course Approval Form
ALL courses students take abroad will be
accounted for. NO EXCEPTIONS! If a
course is listed on your host institution
transcript—that course will be posted on
your Purdue academic record.
This is why it is crucial for all students who
study abroad to obtain approvals for ALL
courses they plan to take, whether they
take the courses for direct credits, transfer
credits, or Pass/Not Pass. Why? First,
because it is crucial to choose courses
that will enable you to make progress toward your Purdue degree. Second, because the Study Abroad Office needs to
know how the courses should be posted,
i.e., the specific course numbers and titles,
on your academic record. Third, because
many host institution application forms
ask for a tentative list of courses at the
time of application.
To ensure that these objectives are met
and so that you do not have to extend your
time at Purdue needlessly, you should
have your study plan pegged down as early
as possible.
If you have not yet done so, below are the
steps you need to follow. NOTE: We will
assume that you know what kind of academic program you are getting yourself
into, have examined the courses that are
offered at your program site, and have
determined that those courses could meet
your academic needs.
Step 1: Discuss your study abroad
plans with your academic advisor. Make a list of specific
courses (SPAN 214 Spanish
Literature or MGMT 200 Accounting) or categories of
courses (gender studies, technical electives. Aesthetic
awareness) that you can or

Will I need letter grades for all the
courses on my list? Are there courses
I can take for Pass/Not Pass
Step 2: Research the course offerings
for your study abroad program.
Go to the program website or
consult course catalogs in the
SA Office and obtain course
descriptions. Better yet, try to
get the syllabi for the courses
you wish to take. Check the
availability and suitability of
courses as appropriate substitutes for your Purdue requirements.

What should I do if I am unable to take
these classes? May I email you later for
guidance in making alternate choices?

What do I need to do for you after I return
from studying abroad? Any documents I
should I bring back with me?
Step 5: Have the study abroad liaison
complete and sign the Course
Approval Form.
Return to the
Study Abroad Office. Don’t forget
to keep a personal copy!
If you and/or your advisor have
questions about the course approval process, call the Study
Abroad Office at 765 494 2383.
Step 3: On your own or with your academic advisor, make a preliminary selection of overseas
courses that seem to match
your Purdue requirements.
NOTE: The academic liaisons will not
simply tell you what classes you can
take. You are expected to be an active
participant in the course approval process.
Step 4: Schedule an appointment with
the appropriate study abroad
academic liaisons to discuss
your course selection and obtain
approval. Bring your laptop and
pull up the course listing page
on your study abroad program
website. Be prepared to discuss
your degree requirements, your
study abroad program and what
courses are available. Bring the
Course Approval Form which can
be printed from your “My Study
Abroad” page.
If you and your academic advisor can
come up with a tentative list of courses
that will satisfy a list of degree requirements, the liaison will recommend which
of those choices will fulfill your needs.
On the other hand, if you are ready with
the list of courses you want or need to
take, then the liaison will simply designate the equivalent Purdue courses.
Whatever the case, you must be ready to
discuss your academic plan with the
liaison and to present descriptions/syllabi
of the overseas courses.
Academic Matters
Page 6
The Importance of Securing Course Approval / Equivalency
There are several reasons why you
need to secure course approval /
obtain course equivalency for courses you plan to take abroad.
Purdue has very definite
rules about course
equivalencies and grade
transfers — know these rules
before you leave for your
study abroad term!

The courses you take abroad are
supposed to replace required
courses on your degree program.
Naturally, you would want to
know which requirements are
being met by each study abroad
course./

If you do not secure course approval / obtain the equivalency
BEFORE enrolling in the course, there
is no guarantee that the equivalency
assigned later are suitable substitutes
for your degree requirements.

ALL the courses you take abroad—
major, minor, electives, general education requirements, courses taken for
fun, and even courses that will not
count toward any requirement on your
degree program — will be posted on
your Purdue academic record. Thus,
we need to know the course equivalency—the actual Purdue course number and title designated for each study
abroad course — before we can
post your credits and grades.

No delay in posting grades. We
can get going on the grade and
credit transfer procedure as soon
as the Study Abroad Office receives your transcript . But if
there is a course or two for which
you did not secure approval/
equivalency, then everything
stops and your grades will remain unposted until the approval
comes through.
Obtaining Course Approval While Abroad
Yay! You can get course
approval even if you are
already abroad.
Occasionally, you will arrive at your
destination with only a partial list of
approved courses (as is the case
with students participating in the
Purdue Spain or Freiburg programs).
More commonly, students arrive
abroad to discover that a few of their
courses have been cancelled or that
there are more interesting course
that they would like to take instead.
What should you do if you find yourself in this situation? Can you obtain
course approval even though you are
already abroad?
OF COURSE! Here’s what you need
to do:
Contact your study abroad and academic advisor and seek course approval from the appropriate study
abroad liaison. First, consult your
academic advisor if the replacement
course will work for you.
Second, send an email requesting
approval for the new course to the
appropriate study abroad liaison. Make
sure you copy your academic advisor
and study abroad advisor on the message so everyone is in the loop.
In your email, be sure to include the
title of the course and the course description. It will be even better if you
can provide a syllabus. The response
from the liaison may not be immediate
so be patient.
Finally, make sure you save the syllabus and course materials for additional review in case the study abroad
liaison requests another course review.
BOTTOMLINE: You can always obtain course approval while you are
abroad, Be ready with the information
the liaisons need, i.e., course descriptions or syllabi. Be patient in case the
liaison can’t get back to you immediately.
What to do if Course Approval was Never Obtained?
What if you just never sought approval for a course or courses at all?
Don’t say we didn't
warn you!
If you did not seek prior
approval for your courses,
there is no guarantee the
courses could be applied
to your degree requirements.
If a course has not been approved,
there is no guarantee that the Purdue
equivalent that will be eventually
assigned to it later will satisfy one of
your degree requirements.
You should avoid this situation as
much as possible. However, if you
didn’t or couldn’t secure course approval for whatever reason prior to
departure or while you are abroad,
here’s what you can do:

Make sure you bring back the
course syllabus/syllabi and
other evidence of coursework.

Make an appointment with the
appropriate study abroad
liaison(s) and discuss the nonapproved courses. Bring the
necessary documentation to
the meeting.
This extra step almost always leads
to additional delays in posting the
grades and credit to your Purdue
record. Academic liaisons might
not be too accommodating if you
are seeking their assistance for a
task you should have completed
weeks or months ago. You will
just have to be patient and hope
for the best.
To avoid grief—get approval for all
courses you take abroad either
before you leave or while abroad!
Academic Matters
Page 7
The Pass / Not Pass Option
By default, students will
receive letter grades for
courses in a subject area
approved for direct credit for
that program.
Just the
same, a Purdue student
accepted into a Purdueapproved study abroad program may choose the P/N
option for courses approved for direct credit in that
subject.. In other words, these are the courses for
which a student normally would have received a
grade.
A study abroad student may take as many courses for
Pass/Not Pass as long as the following conditions are
satisfied:
The student must first discuss the matter with and
seek permission from his or her academic advisor.
If the advisor grants the student permission to take
a class or classes for P/NP, the advisor must complete, sign and date, and return the Pass/Not-Pass
Form to the Study Abroad Office. Only signed and
dated forms will be honored — permission granted
by email will be denied!
The
signed and dated form must be submitted
(hard copy or via email) to the Study Abroad Office
as soon as possible. Ideally, the form must be filed
in the student’s Study Abroad folder before the end
of the semester prior to departure for his or her
overseas study site
While it is preferable that this decision be made
prior to departure, P/NP approval can be granted
while the student is already abroad. The signed
and dated P/NP form must arrive at the Study
Abroad Office no later than eight weeks after the
official start date of the study abroad semester
program as listed in the Purdue registration system. NOTE: the official start date is often different
from Purdue’s official term start date. Thus, the 8week deadline is not eight weeks after the start of
that Purdue semester but the program’s.
SUMMER PROGRAMS: For programs with a
duration of less than one semester, the Pass/NotPass Form must be signed and dated before 50%
of the program has been completed, based on the
official start and end dates of the program as listed
in the Purdue registration system.
If the student’s academic advisor does not grant
permission, the student must take the course for a
letter grade.
his or her academic progress.
Pass/No Pass permission is not necessary if
the student takes a course that has not been
approved for direct credits for that program. In
this case, the student will automatically receive
transfer credits only.
Students need to be aware that for courses
taken P/N, they must earn at least the equivalent of a C- in order to receive the grade P. If
students earn less than C-, the grade N (Not
Pass) will be posted to the students’ Purdue
academic record.
Once the official transcript from the host institution or program arrives at Purdue, the Study
Abroad grade transfer coordinator will post the
credits and grades according to what is listed
on the student’s course approval form and the
P/NP form.
Once the P/NP Form is submitted, the decision
cannot be reversed!
It is up to the student’s academic department to
decide how the courses taken as Pass / Not Pass
will be used to satisfy the student’s degree requirements.
It is up to the student to inquire from the academic
advisor how the courses taken as P/NP will affect
Find a P/NP
Form on your
My Study
Abroad page.
Taking a Course Not Approved for Direct Credit
All study abroad program courses are
approved for direct credits (credits and
grades) by one or more colleges at Purdue. So for example, the University of
Bath in the U.K. has been approved for
direct credits by the College of Science
and College of Liberal Arts. Thus, any
course within these disciplines (Math,
Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Literature, Psychology, Sociology, History) will come back to Purdue
for credits and grades. However, Bath is a comprehensive university that also offers Engineering
or Management courses. If a Purdue student takes
these types of courses at Bath, he or she will receive TRANSFER CREDITS only (no grade).
Students do not need to submit a Pass/Not-Pass
Form if the course or courses in question are in
subjects that have not been approved for
direct credit. Students need to consult
the web page for the study abroad program or consult with their study abroad
advisor to confirm which courses at the
host program are approved for direct
credits and which are not. If the course
is not approved, the credit earned is
transfer credit (credits only no grade).
Just the same, students need to get course approval for these courses because the Study
Abroad Office needs to know how the course will
be posted on the student’s academic record.
It will be up to the student’s academic department
to decide how and if those credits can be applied
toward degree requirements.
Bottom line: If you are not very flexible and
need to graduate on time, do not take a course in
an unapproved area unless you have explicit
agreement from your academic advisor that those
credits will count toward degree requirements.
Note: Some overseas universities offer the option of auditing courses, as does Purdue. If you
choose to audit a course or courses while studying abroad, be aware that they will not appear on
your Purdue transcript. Therefore, any audited
courses should be in addition to the minimum
required courses in a given term.
Page 8
Academic Matters
Course Changes in a Student’s Study Plan
If there are any changes in your academic program — no matter how trivial — inform the Study
Abroad Office, your academic advisor, and the
study abroad liaison.
Delays in posting the grades can occur if the
course listed on the course approval form does
not match the course title on the transcript from
the host university.
So let us know if the following happens:

You decide to take a course that has not
received prior approval (i.e., not listed on
your Course Approval Form).

If an approved course has a course title
change at the host institution.

If an approved course has a course number change at the host institution

If an approved course has a schedule
change, i.e., contact hours increased or
decreased.
BOTTOM LINE: You must report any changes
to your study plan no matter how seemingly
minor. Purdue takes your overseas coursework very seriously.
Settle all
academic issues
before you leave
your host
institution.
Complete all course requirements
and know your grades before
leaving your program site.
Contesting grades will be difficult
to do once you are back at
Purdue.
Posting Grades and Grade Equivalents
When will your
grades be posted? After your
overseas studies, your host
university or study program (CIEE,
DIS, IES, SFS, or IFSA) will send a
copy of the transcript to the Study
Abroad Office. The timetable for
various institutions will vary and we
cannot demand a date when transcripts must be received. Sometimes, it takes time for our overseas
partners to send us your transcript.
When we receive your transcript, the
SA credits and grade coordinator
consults your course Approval Form
and all pertinent academic correspondence. Sometimes, a study
abroad academic liaison may request
a review of your overseas coursework. The coordinator completes the
Grade Equivalency Form and sends
the form to the Purdue Registrar.
The Purdue Registrar considers posting study abroad grades as a
“Change of Grade” procedure. Thus,
posting your grades from abroad will
not be immediate. Furthermore, the
Registrar’s Office manually posts
each course taken overseas by each
Study Abroad student. These factors
could prolong the process.
If you need your grades posted sooner, for graduation, employment, or
graduate school purposes, please
inform the SA Office staff as early as
possible and the overseas program
director before you return to the United States.
How would you know the Purdue
equivalents of grades you earn
abroad? The grades on the transcript
of students on U.S.-based cosponsored programs will already be
on the U.S. letter grade system. Students who will be attending regular
university exchange programs can
consult the World Educational Services website for an approximation of
how their overseas grades will transfer to Purdue:
http://www.wes.org/gradeconversionguide/
While your
peers from
other universities may simply
be working for
credits, you
have your
grades to
consider so
strive to balance work and
play during
your time
overseas.
http://www.foreigncredits.com/resources/grade-conversion
From Course Approval — Posting Grades
Transcript from study
abroad program: Your
host institution will send
your transcript to the SA
Office. The courses listed
here will be checked
against the courses on
your course approval
form.
Completed course approval
form: this must be completed
before you leave Purdue
Course Equivalency
Form: this is the form
sent to the Purdue Registrar. Listed are the designated Purdue equivalents
of your overseas course
with credits and grades.
Yes, your GPA will be
affected unless you opted
to take a course or two for
P/NP.
Page 9
Academic Matters
FAQ Courses and Grades
Will I receive grades for courses taken abroad?
Yes.
By default, students will receive direct credits for
participating in a Purdue study abroad program.
The credits and grades will be recorded on your
Purdue transcript and will be factored into your
GPA.
yourself in this situation, immediately consult the study abroad
liaison and your academic advisor
at Purdue. Provide as much information as you can about the new
course and hope that it is a suitable replacement for one of your
Purdue requirements.
You can take a course or two for
audit if you like, but these are in
addition to the courses that will
count toward the 12-credit
minimum you will take for
grades.
Can I take at least half of my
courses for Pass/No Pass?
I am a year ahead and studying
You can take as many courses for P/NP . Howevabroad just for fun. Can I be exempt from securer, you must secure permission from your acaing course approval and getting direct credits?
demic advisor and the P/NP Form submitted. It
Nope. All courses listed on your host university will be your responsibility to know how those
transcript will be posted on your Purdue academic credits will count toward your degree requirerecord. The Study Abroad Office needs to know ments. (See p. 2)
What courses can I take abroad?
how the courses will be posted, i.e., the course
Can I take all my courses for Pass/No Pass?
So you can make progress on your degree program titles for each course, hence the course approval.
while abroad, you should try to choose courses that
Sure—as long as you have permission from your
are suitable substitutes for some of your Purdue I’m only taking courses for electives and GenEds,
academic department. Review the conditions for
do I still need to get course approval?!
degree requirements.
taking courses for P/NP discussed elsewhere in
Students must consult their academic advisor and YES. All courses you take abroad, whether for this chapter.
the appropriate study abroad liaison to determine grade, transfer, or P/NP, whether to satisfy degree
Can I request that grades be optional?
(a) which courses to take while overseas, and (b) requirements or just for fun, will be recorded on
your
Purdue
academic
record.
how many credits will be assigned to each course.
No. All courses you take abroad and their correNOTE: There are 2 exceptions to the rule: (a) if a
student was able to secure permission to take
courses for Pass/No Pass and (b) if a student takes
a course in an area that has not been approved for
direct credits.
How many courses should I take while studying I’m only taking courses for fun! - nothing will count
toward my degree requirements. Do I still need to
abroad?
get course approval?!
Purdue requires all students to take the equivalent
of at least 12 (per semester) or 6 (per summer) Yup. See above.
Purdue credits. Typically, that will be about 4 or 2
I need to return home earlier than the program’s
courses respectively. Just the same, Purdue defers
end date. Can I ask permission to take my exams
to the host institution’s academic regulations. So, if
early?
your program requires you to take more than Purdue’s minimum credit requirement—you have to do No.
so.
Students are expected to stay for the duration of
Can I take less than the required minimum credits? the program and are prohibited from requesting
early exams or special accommodations — unless
No.
it is the host institution’s policy to do for students
Purdue requires all study abroad participants to who need to return to their home universities in
take the equivalent of at least 12 Purdue credits time to start the next semester.
every semester or 6 for the summer. If students
I’m working way harder than my classmates. They
take less than 12 or 6 credits, they could lose their
seem to be having more fun since they’re working
financial aid, study abroad scholarship and insurfor credits only. It’s not fair!
ance coverage.
Tough! What Purdue says, goes. Look at the
My program’s minimum requirement is 16 credits /
bright side instead — you studied abroad and still
30 ECTS. Should I comply?
made progress on your degree to graduate on
time.
Yes, absolutely!
What if ,despite working just as hard if not harder
than I worked at Purdue, I still just received a “C”
for a class I took abroad Will Study Abroad bump
up my grades and give me an A — a grade I probably would have received if I took the class at PurI discovered a couple on interesting courses after I due?
arrived. May I take these courses instead of the
Nope. We do not make grade adjustments. You
ones that had been pre-approved for me?
will just have to redouble your efforts and give
No reason why you can’t. However, you will still every class your best shot.
need to get approval for those new courses.
Can I take all my courses for audit?
You can always obtain approval for additional
courses after arriving at your study site. If you find No.
It is Purdue policy to abide by our partner’s regulations. Thus, if the program’s minimum credit requirement exceeds Purdue’s, you’ll have to comply
with the host institution’s policy.
sponding grade will be posted on your academic
record. However, if you were granted permission
to take a course or two for P /NP, then you will
earn credits only. The grade will not be posted.
Ditto if you take a course in a subject area not
approved for direct credit for that program.
Can I request that the grades I earn overseas not
count toward my GPA?
If you have to take courses for direct credits, then
those will count toward your GPA. If you took a
course in an area not approved for direct credits
or were granted permission to take as P/NP
courses approved for direct credits, and YOU
PASS THE COURSE, then the grades will not be
posted and your overall GPA will not be affected.
My classmates from other universities are taking
courses for credits only. Can I do the same?
Yes, but you must secure permission from your
academic advisor, and the completed, dated and
signed Pass / Not Pass Form must be submitted
before the deadline (see Page 2-3)
CAVEAT EMPTOR! It is YOUR respon‐
sibility to know how the courses you took for P/NP will be used to sa sfy your degree requirements. Ideally, you should make progress toward your degree even if the courses were taken for P / NP. It will be awful if the credits count as undistributed credits only or elec ve credits you don’t need and you have to retake a course or two back at Purdue be‐
cause your degree requirement calls for a le er grade for those courses. Academic Matters
Page 10
Academic Success while Studying Abroad
The academic systional. Make Purdue proud!
tem overseas could
What should you do to ensure
be radically or just a
you will do well academically?
tad bit different from
what you are used to
 Prepare before deparat Purdue.
Every
ture. Purdue Study Abroad
single returned stuhas an extensive predent has said that
departure orientation procourses are not necgram to get students as ready
essarily harder at his Yes, it is possible to enjoy your time as possible for their term
or her host universi- overseas and be a success in the
abroad. Take advantage of
ty, just different. For classroom at the same time.
the sessions, particularly the
example, you may
pre-departure meetings which
have to get used to not having detailed
will give you an opportunity to meet
syllabi, homework, pop quizzes, and atPurdue students who have participated
tendance checks. Similarly, you may
in the same program in the past semeshave to assume primary responsibility for
ters. They will serve as excellent reintegrating an entire semester’s course
sources for what you can do to gain
materials for a final paper or exam at the
academic success.
end of the term that will determine your
course grade. In all likelihood, you will  Attend class regularly. The academic
support that exists at Purdue will probahave to develop new study skills, modify
bly not be available abroad, so make it
expectations and classroom behavior,
a policy to attend every class. Miss
and make a concerted effort to balance
class and you could miss vital inforwork and play.
mation. How will you catch up if there is
While you should certainly make the most
no syllabus, no taped lectures, no readof your time abroad, you must also make
ings reserved in the library, and no
sure you do not neglect your studies.
classmates from whom to borrow notes.
Goofing off can be tempting, especially
This is especially important for students
since many university systems overseas
participating in a language program. It
are less structured than what Purdue
is a given that you will miss things
students are used to.
simply because the class is conducted
in another language. Don’t make the
You need to pay attention to your class
situation worse by missing class.
performance because (1) your grades
will come back to Purdue, (2) if you want
 Strive for balance. There is less handto brag to a recruiter that you studied
holding in universities overseas. If you
abroad, you certainly want to show eviare studying abroad, chances are, you
dence that you actually did, (3) you are
will not be able to rely as easily on exmaking a hefty investment by participatternal checks — detailed syllabi, reading
ing in this program so you might as well
assignments, or homework — to deterhave something to show for it, and (4)
mine how well you are doing in class, or
you have to live up to people’s expectato prod you to keep up. It’ll be up to
tions that students from a renowned acagood ol’ you to see to it that you stay on
demic institution like Purdue are exceptop of things while still living it up!

Know what it would take to succeed
in class. Ask professors and classmates what you need to do to be
successful in class. In Europe, classes are less structured but the students know what is expected of them
and are used to studying with less
guidance. In Asia on the other hand,
classes are quite structured and students can be quite competitive. Perhaps your professors will be more
inclined to consider your work more
carefully if they are aware that
grades are important at your home
institution.

Get to know local students. Rather
than asking other exchange or new
study abroad students like yourself,
get the scoop from veterans. Local
university students or even academic
year students will likely know the
ropes, shortcuts, and easiest and
best way to do something. In the
process, you could even gain a new
friend!

Work hard. There is no grade inflation overseas. Don’t expect your
usual As and Bs unless you put forth
more effort into your schoolwork. If
your classmates seem to be content
to simply pass a course, don’t be
lulled by their lackadaisical attitude.
If your classmates take their studies
very seriously, you will have to do the
same to hold your own in class.
Many former study abroad participants
have thrived while studying abroad in an
academic environment very different from
Purdue’s. We certainly hope you will be
one of them.
If you will receive letter grades for courses you take abroad, make sure you know what the academic system is like at your host institution. Do not assume the grading system will be the same
or that you can put in the same effort you did at Purdue to earn and still earn As and Bs. In many
universities overseas, only a truly exceptional student earns top marks.
Practical Considerations
Revised Edition
Page 11
Practical
Considerations
A good study abroad experience begins at home!
Luck is what happens
when preparation meets
opportunity
Seneca
Roman dramatist,
philosopher, & politician
What this section is
about:
What documents do you
need for your overseas
journey? How should
you handle your finances and access your
funds? What items do
you need to pack? How
should you preserve
your memories? How
will you stay in touch
with family and friends
back home?
Students who study
overseas have lofty
goals, but they must
attend to practical matters first.
This means that the amount
and type of preparation you
do before leaving the United
States can contribute to a
productive and enjoyable time
while you are overseas. You
are not really going to be gone
for long, and thus do not have
too much time to spare
“getting the hang of things.”
What you want is to hit the
ground running by being ready
at the outset to meet the opportunities and challenges
that come your way. You
must arrive at your destination already knowing the important facts, cultural norms,
historical events, and current
political, social, and economic
situation of your host country
and city. You do not have the
luxury of spending a few
weeks or months learning
these things! On a practical
level, you cannot afford to
waste precious time like shopping for a comfortable pair of
shoes because you decided to
bring your cute designer sandals rather than a comfortable
and sturdy pair of walking
shoes for your host city’s cob-
blestone streets. It would
be inconsiderate to hold up
your class field trip while
you scour the streets for a
bank to exchange traveler’s
checks when using your
ATM card would have done
the trick.
So before you pack your
bags and go, we hope you
will prepare thoroughly and
conscientiously. This section focuses on the logistical matters, as well as the
mental and emotional preparations involved in studying
abroad.
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
Protect your Passport
While traveling, the most
important
thing is to
keep
your
passport secure at all
times! Before you leave for your
destination, scan or photocopy
the main information page of
your passport so that if you
should lose it, you will have a
back-up copy to speed up the
process of securing a replacement. Do not keep the photocopy with your passport. Instead,
put it in another bag, take a
photo of it with your phone, scan
and save it on a flash drive or
send it to yourself by email, or
simply give a copy to your traveling companion.
Don’t just tuck your passport in
an outside compartment of your
bag or slip it in your pocket.
Besides being extremely important to you, a passport
(especially a U.S. passport) is a
valuable commodity to foreigners. It can be sold for hundreds,
even thousands of dollars, on
the black market.
Getting your passport stolen is
not your only concern. If you
lose your passport while traveling and then cannot prove your
citizenship , you may run into
problems or delays.
During school days, you
should leave your passport
safely hidden in your room.
When traveling to another city
within or outside your host
country, carry your passport
with you but don’t take it out
until requested. Don’t give
your passport to anyone. You
may be approached by people
claiming to be “officials” who
need to verify your identification. Before you surrender
your passport – do the verifying yourself! These people
may not be who they claim to
be.
Page 12
Practical Considerations
Student Visa / Residence Permit / Entry Clearance
Many governments
require a student visa if
foreign
nationals wish
to study in their country. A visa is an official/legal permission to enter a country for
a stated purpose and specified period of
time and is granted by the government of
that country. Visa requirements differ from
country to country. Your study abroad advisor will let you know if you need to apply for
a student visa and what the entry requirements are.
Students participating in study abroad
programs in countries that do not require a
visa will receive a letter from the Study
Abroad Office for foreign entry purposes
stating that the bearer of the letter is participating in an official Purdue study abroad
program. (Be sure to keep either the original or a copy of this letter with your passport.) Even if the country requires no student visa, the student must be ready to
present certain documents when going
through Passport Controls at the point of
entry. These could include: the official
acceptance letter from the host institution,
residence hall contract, proof of financial
certification, and others. In many cases, no
-visa students will have to secure a resident permit. The staff at the overseas site
will help students secure official student or
resident status.
WARNING 1: Argentina, Belgium, France,
Greece, Italy, Russia and Spain are among
the countries that require U.S. students to
obtain a visa to enter the country. Applying
for visas to these countries is a lengthy
process and must be done carefully. If you
arrive without a visa, you will not be allowed to board your connecting flight or you
may even be deported immediately upon
arrival if you don’t have the appropriate
visa.
It is important to begin the visa application
process as soon as possible, i.e., as soon
as you receive the acceptance letter from
the host institution. Some consulates require one or two personal visits to the appropriate consular office to submit the
required application materials and the
other to retrieve the visa. The entire process could also take from several weeks to
a couple of months.
WARNING 2: Visa requirements change
often and may even differ from consulate to
consulate (e.g. the French consulate in Chicago may have different requirements than
the French consulate in San Francisco).
Therefore be careful when accepting advice
from other students! This advice may be
inaccurate or outdated.
If you need a student or entry visa, contact
the consulate or embassy of the host country directly, or consult the list of countries
and the visa requirements for U.S. citizens at
this site:
http://travel.state.gov/visa/americans/
americans_1252.html
If you are not a U.S. citizen, you should contact the appropriate consulate or embassy
immediately for instructions, as visa requirements can be more complicated and can
take considerably longer to process. To obtain the phone number for embassies or
consulates in the United States, please refer
to the “Foreign Consular Offices in the U.S.”
website at:
http://www.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/index.htm
Applying for a Visa
If you have to apply for a visa,
know that you cannot do so without first receiving official documents from your host university or
study program. Nevertheless, you
could get started on some preliminary tasks:

Determine if you need to procure a student visa based on
where you will be studying
abroad.

Determine which consulate to work
with. Depending on your host country,
you may need to submit your application to the visa-issuing office according to your state of permanent residence or the state where you are
attending a university.
 Complete the visa application which you obtained from
the appropriate consulate or
downloaded from the consulate’s website.
 Compile the required information and submit all the documents to the consulate for
processing. If you are asked to submit
additional information or documentation, do so immediately.

You will most likely be required to
send your passport with your visa application; therefore you should send it
by express or certified mail. In addition
make a copy of your passport and any
accompanying information, in case these
materials are lost.

If you plan on traveling in and out of your
host country, you may need to request a
“multiple-entry” student visa.

You may be required to obtain a tourist
visa for the country or countries you wish
to visit while traveling. It is a good idea to
research the entry requirements of these
countries before you leave the United
States or your home country in the case of
international students. In many cases you
cannot apply for a visa outside the U.S
Page 13
Practical Considerations
FINANCIAL ISSUES
Studying
abroad
will
always involve
an expenditure of money. The most
salient of course will be the actual cost
of participating in an exchange program, direct-enroll, Purdueadministered, or co-sponsored program.
In addition to actual program costs, you
will also be expected to shoulder travel
and miscellaneous expenses. Your immediate concern will probably be how to
set up your funds now for easy access
while you are overseas.
With exceptions, the overall cost of living
abroad can be higher than at home. Because you are in an unfamiliar environment, with costs stated in the local currency you may not be able to translate
immediately into dollars. You may get
sticker shock later after you realize the
dollar equivalent of that pint of beer or a
box of pizza. You may also be confronted
with an almost endless array of entertainment possibilities and attractions. A
cautious approach to buying makes the
most sense. There is nothing more dismaying than to run out of funds overseas, with no easy or quick means of
replenishment. In general, students’
spending habits vary depending upon
the funds available, personal spending
allowance, and the amount devoted to
eating out, shopping, and travel. You
will probably spend more during the
first month or so, but as you become
more accustomed to life in your host
city, you should be able to do more with
less.
In this section, you will get a rundown
on the financial issues associated with
studying abroad, as well as tips on handling funds and stretching your dollars.
By managing your funds wisely, you
should be able to study abroad without
much financial setback.
Study Abroad Deposit and Program Cost
All Purdue study abroad participants are required to
complete and return a Participation Form and remit
a non-refundable Study Abroad deposit to secure a
place in the program. This deposit will be applied
toward the student’s tuition (those on exchange
programs) or study abroad fee (those on cosponsored or direct-enroll programs). The student
will not be nominated to the host institution or his or
her application endorsed, unless the participation
form is turned in and the deposit remitted.
This deposit is nonrefundable meaning that if a
student voluntarily withdraws from the study abroad
program — i.e., the student reconsiders his or her
study abroad plans, accepts an offer of employment, withdraws because of a personal reason, or
decides that studying abroad will hinder him or her
from making degree progress — the deposit will not
be returned or credited to the student’s Purdue
account. The only time a deposit is returned is if the
student’s application is denied by the host institution, the student’s visa application is denied, or the
student becomes ineligible to study abroad if placed
on academic or disciplinary probation.
Students participating in exchange
programs will be billed their regular
level of Purdue tuition and fees
(resident, non-resident, differential
fees, special fees) plus a fee for
mandatory overseas health insurance. The fee must be paid by the date determined
by the Purdue Bursar’s Office. Please note that
installment plans are not available for the period
students are participating in a study abroad exchange program.
Students participating in co-sponsored, directenroll, or Purdue-administered programs will be
billed a Study Abroad Fee plus a fee for overseas
health insurance, except on programs in which
insurance is already included in the program provider’s study abroad fee.
Students on co-sponsored programs will pay the
sponsor (CIEE, IES, DIS, Arcadia, etc.) directly for
the cost of the program. Consult your study abroad
advisor if you have questions about the billing process for a co-sponsored program.
If a student is receiving financial
aid, U.S.-based co-sponsored
programs will typically have a
payment deferral plan. Ask your
study abroad advisor if your program has this option.
Many non-Purdue based scholarships and tuition
remission plans do not apply to co-sponsored
programs; therefore students receiving these
benefits need to discuss payment of fees for cosponsored programs with the appropriate agency
or administrative office. Please note that installment and deferred payment plans are not available at Purdue for the period students study
abroad, but some cosponsored programs may
offer installment plans for their fees.
Payment of the bursar fee statement (full tuition or
the study abroad fee) must be made in full by the
requested deadline; failure to pay on time will
result in the cancellation of a student’s registration
at Purdue University. Reinstatement involves
paying a late registration fee.
When a student is approved to participate in Purdue ‘s study abroad program, a study abroad deposit is requested to hold the person’s spot in the program This deposit is nonrefundable if the
student voluntarily withdraws from participation in his or her study abroad program.
Page 14
Practical Considerations
Paying for Accommodations
If students are participating in a
co-sponsored, departmental or
direct-enroll program, the fee
for guaranteed accommodations is typically included in the
comprehensive program fee.
Depending on program, students could live in
flats, university residence halls, or with a host
family. The latter is typical for language programs where staying with a family of native
speakers provides even more opportunities for
the student to hone his or her language skills.
With a few exceptions, students participating in exchange programs have
guaranteed housing at the host university.
Accommodation fees for
exchange programs will be paid directly to the university housing office,
the residence hall management, or landlord, not to
Purdue University.
Exchange program accommodations are usually at
an on-campus residence hall or off-campus flats,
residencias, or kollegiums. In only a very few cases
can homestays be arranged.
In several exchange programs in Asia, the students
have to pay their semester housing in full prior to the
start of the semester. Consult your program’s cost
sheet or ask your advisor if you have questions about
housing charges.
A few exchange host universities in Spain, Ireland
and France have no halls of residence. Students
must look for their own accommodations with some
assistance from the host institutions.
Payment of Fees at Overseas Site
In addition to housing costs that
exchange students must pay to
the host university, some institutions also charge a mandatory
student services fee which will be
remitted by a bank transfer from
the United States or onsite at registration with a credit card.
Study Abroad participants are also
expected to settle all debts over-
seas before returning to
the United States. If a
student has an outstanding financial obligation
overseas, the transcript
likely will not be sent by
the host institution.
Moreover, any outstanding accounts will be brought to the attention of the Study Abroad Office and
we will be obligated to place
an encumbrance on your Purdue account until the balance
is paid. An encumbrance will
block your registration for the
upcoming semester and access to your academic records. Moreover, your study
abroad academic credits and
grades will not be posted until the
debt is resolved.
Scholarships and Financial Aid
Financial Aid: Financial aid can
be applied to study abroad.
However, these awards are
processed no earlier than 10
days prior to the start of a student’s overseas program. If you
are a financial aid recipient, you need to be
prepared to shoulder initial expenses like
program deposits, travel arrangements, and
others which must be done months before
your program start date.
payment after you receive your financial aid,
which is usually just before your program’s
start date.
Scholarships. Purdue students who study
abroad are eligible to receive the Purdue Big
Move Study Abroad Scholarship of $3000-for
the semester or $1000-$2000 for short-term
programs. Students apply through a link on
their My Study Abroad page. Big Move scholarships are issued midway through the semester
assuming the students complete and return
If you are participating in a U.S.-based co- the Early Disbursement Form, sent as an atsponsored program and will use financial aid tachment on their scholarship email notificato cover your fees, notify the program provid- tion. i
er immediately! You may be granted a grace
If you are on a co-sponsored or direct-enroll
period to pay your fees at a later date. You
program and receiving private scholarships or
will most likely have to complete a form that
under a tuition remission plan, you should
must be signed by a Purdue financial aid
confirm with the appropriate agency or admincounselor. This form alerts the program proistrative office that those benefits apply if you
vider that you will remit the balance of your
study abroad.
Establish a personal study
abroad fund! Be
frugal prior to
departure. Pass
up on a spring
break trip. Prepare your meals in
your apartment
rather than dine
out. It is always
better to have
money left over
than not to have
enough.
If students require additional financial assistance, they should look into scholarship opportunities as early as possible.
The Purdue Study Abroad website has a list
of national and local scholarships. These
non-Purdue scholarships are always competitive so work on the application early
and be tenacious and persistent in putting
together an impressive application. Be
mindful of application deadlines and service requirements associated with a scholarship.
If you are receiving financial aid or expect a
Purdue study abroad scholarship, we recommend that you have a direct deposit
arrangement with the Purdue Bursar. You
can authorize the Bursar’s Office to deposit the refunds directly into your personal
bank account.
Page 15
Practical Considerations
Accessing Your Funds from Overseas
How much do you need? The estimated
expenses listed on the cost sheet your study
abroad advisor gave you earlier this semester should give you an idea of the costs you
will incur for the semester, year, or summer
that you spend overseas and allow you to
set a budget. Whatever your budget will
allow, the most basic thing is to determine
the form this money will be available to you.
ATM /Debit Cards. Past participants tended
to use a combination of credit and ATM/
debit cards for handling money. The easiest
and most economical way to have cash for
daily expenses is to have an ATM card and
its 4-digit Personal Identification Number
(PIN). With this card, you can
withdraw local currency directly from your US bank
account at more favorable
exchange rates. Be sure to
leave your bank account
number with your family so
funds can be deposited or
transferred into your US account on a regular basis.
The biggest advantage of exchanging money
with your ATM card is that all cash withdrawals, regardless of size, are exchanged based
on the wholesale exchange rate which is
usually reserved only for very large interbank
exchanges. This rate is often 2-5% better
than what you can get from exchanging traveler's checks at a local exchange counter.
Inform your bank that you will be making
ATM withdrawals abroad and consider increasing your maximum withdrawal amount.
Check that your PIN will work abroad. Many
ATMs abroad, particularly in Europe, do not
accept PINs that are longer than four digits.
If your PIN is longer, you can go to your local
bank and have it changed. European keypads also do not have letters, so know your
4-digit PIN numerically. Also, you should ask
your bank about any charges that may be
imposed for withdrawing money overseas.
Make an attempt to negotiate to have this
fee reduced or waived. Ensure that you
have the phone number of your local bank
for any emergencies.
TIP: Note that there is often a limit on how
much you can withdraw from your account
each day and a transaction fee every time you
withdraw cash. Inquire at your bank to see if
the bank could waive the transaction fee for
the duration of your stay abroad. The fee
could be as much as $3 per transaction and
over time, this could add up. If the fee cannot be waived, consider requesting an increase in your daily limit so you could make
fewer but larger withdrawals. Another thing
you can do is to consider opening an account
with a bank like Chase or HBS that have
branches overseas and will not charge a fee if
you use your ATM card.
Traveler’s Checks. Another safe way to carry
money when traveling is to
have traveler’s checks. Fees to
cash traveler’s checks however
are typically quite high so avoid
using them for everyday spending. Reserve these for emergencies only! Thomas Cook and
American Express are the most
widely recognized. Leave a copy of your
check numbers at home and keep check
receipts in a separate place overseas. Record the cash number when you cash traveler’s checks. In the event they are lost or stolen, traveler’s checks can be replaced if you
have the check numbers .
Credit Cards. We recommend that all study
abroad participants carry a major credit card
in their name. Visa and MasterCard are accepted in most places in the world (not Discover cards).
WARNING: The United States is the only developed country still primarily using credit and
debit cards with magnetic strips. The rest of
the industrialized world has already switched,
or is transitioning, to the chip-based cards.
Your credit card may not work abroad. Ask if
your bank offers smart chip technology for its
credit cards. Chase Visa/MC offers this option for US travelers.
A process of payment for credit card bills
should be established before your departure
from the U.S. Before you leave the United
States, notify your credit card company that
you will be using the card abroad. You should
also obtain your credit card company emer-
gency phone number to use while overseas. If your card is lost or stolen, you will
be able to call toll-free to have an immediate stop put on its use.
Visa, American Express, MasterCard, and
Diner’s Club credit cards are accepted for
purchases and services, and can also be
used to obtain cash advances, but at a
much higher rate than using an ATM card.
Avoid using your credit card to obtain
cash.
Debit cards, or check cards, which deduct
the cash on items you charge directly from
your checking account, work pretty much
the same way as a regular credit card.
They can be used internationally to access
cash and will give you the same wholesale
exchange rate. HOWEVER: beware when
using a debit card to pay for large purchases! Because the money is immediately deducted from your account, you
won’t have time to review transactions
and could have a harder time disputing
questionable charges made to your card.
Opening a local bank account. Of late,
we’ve been getting reports that more and
more students are opting to open a bank
account overseas for these reasons: (1)
students get a local debit card that can be
used all over the region with no transaction fee, (2) local payments, either by cash
or bank transfer is easier, (3) no transaction fees need to be paid to the U.S. bank.
The study abroad staff at your host institution should be able to assist you to open a
bank account. If you plan to do this, be
sure to set up the fund transfer procedure
before departure and bring all required
documentation with you when you go to
the local bank to open your account.
Cash. Although cash, once lost and stolen
cannot be replaced, it is easy to use and
always accepted. You should always have
a cash reserve on you for small purchases
or emergency expenses. The importance
then is how to carry your money and ATM
and credit cards safely and conveniently.
Chapter IV has a Safety Tips section with
suggestions for carrying your money while
abroad.
Page 16
Practical Considerations
The Frugal Student
Sigh! Unfortunately, the dollar
is not the strong currency it
once was – especially against
the Euro or the British pound.
Some years ago, a €100 hotel
costs $110. Now, it’s about
$135. And the general feeling
is: it’ll get worse, not better.
What you need to do is to sharpen your
budget skills and spend your hard-earned
money more carefully. For the most part,
this is simply common sense and dispelling the notion that you must spend a lot
in order to have a terrific study abroad
experience. Studying abroad need not
involve a lot of money. You can be frugal
and still have an enjoyable, productive,
and absolutely memorable experience.
Here are some suggestions from travel
guru Rick Steves.
www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips
 Seek out free entertainment. City
parks, town squares, pedestrian districts, and downtowns offer interesting
sights and sounds. Visit churches.
Know which museums are free to the
public (British Museum in the UK!)
Mingle with the locals!
 Walk as often as you can and save your
fare money for something else. Most
Americans think of walking as an exercise rather than something to get them
somewhere. People in many parts of
the world think nothing of walking a
few miles to work or school everyday.
In London, don’t use the Tube if you
are traveling fewer than 4 stations.
 Yes, it is tempting to eat out often, but
preparing your own meals is probably
more nutritious and certainly cheaper.
Can’t cook? Write down the recipes of
your favorite dishes on note cards and
take with you or learn to prepare a few
simple local dishes. Be prepared to
improvise.
 If you do eat out, avoid touristy restau-
rants with “We speak
English” signs.
Go
where the locals eat.
You get better food for
less money.
 Buses, while slower, are cheaper than
trains. Train fare from London to Edinburgh costs about $150 but only $50
by bus. Weigh the pros and cons of
cost versus speed.
 Be a cultural chameleon. Drink tea in
England, beer in Prague, red wine in
France. Eat fish in Portugal and reindeer in Norway. Going with the local
specialties gets you the best quality for
the best price.
 Wear a money belt. You’ll save money
by not losing it.
 Picnics also save money. Buy a loaf of
freshly baked bread (from a local bakery), a hunk of cheese, a bottle of wine,
and voila – an elegant lunch in a city
park!
 Minimize paying ATM transaction fees
by making fewer but larger withdrawals.
 Do your shopping in cheaper countries
where gifts are more interesting and
your shopping dollar stretches the farthest. Don’t be afraid to haggle! In
many parts of the world, this is expected.
 Look up friends, relatives, and contacts. Enjoy local hospitality with gusto. Works better if you are also interesting and charming .
 Know what local passes are available.
Eurail or Britrail passes can only be
purchased in the US and are often
pricier than passes available to the
locals.
 Know your travel options. Eurail passes can offer big savings – but only if
you are traveling a lot over several
days. For short tips, point-to-point tickets are cheaper. Sometimes, Europe’s
highly competitive no frills can get you
from one city to another faster and
cheaper than the train.
 Always ask for a student discount. You
never know – it could be available!
 Always take a moment to review any
transaction. Assume you’ll be shortchanged. Always ask how much. Don’t
let a cashier rush you. Smile but be
savvy.
 Travel with a buddy to share and save.
 Take the roads less traveled. The more
popular the city, the more expensive it
is. Thus, choose Lyon over Paris,
Bruges over Brussels, Glasgow over
London.
 Throughout Europe, meals are cheaper
at the bar than at a table. Get a table if
you want to linger and enjoy the atmosphere. If you only want a quick bite,
just go to the bar. A caveat: you could
be eating standing up!
 Requiring some precautions, staying at
a youth hostel rather than a hotel can
save you money.
 Stay healthy and be mindful of your
safety at all times. You don’t want to
be saddled with medical bills.
How simple and frugal a
thing is happiness: a glass of
wine, a roast chestnut, a
wretched little brazier, the
sound of the sea. . . . All that
is required to feel that here
and now is happiness is a
simple, frugal heart.
Nikos Kazantzakis
Page 17
Practical Considerations
COMMUNICATING AND SHARING YOUR OVERSEAS EXPERIENCE
Regular communication with friends and family is a way of sharing your study abroad experience and allowing the important people in your life to vicariously live the study abroad
experience.
Study Abroad participants are thus eager to get information on cell phones and emailing
opportunities while they are overseas. This next section should give you a good handle on
how you can preserve your memories and share your adventures with the folks back home.
Cell Phones, Computers, and Email
Cell phones. Europe and
much of the world adopted
a common cell phone
standard called Global
Service for Mobiles (GSM).
Equally important, Europe,
Africa and Asia not only had the foresight
to adopt the same cell phone standard,
but they also decided that their cell
phone networks would operate on the
same frequencies (900mhz initially and
later the 1800mhz band). This explains
why the same cell phone that works in
London will work equally well in Johannesburg, Beijing and Sydney. Many countries around the globe - more than 205
at last count - have adopted the GSM
wireless technology and if you plan on
studying overseas and want the convenience of carrying a cellular phone, then
you're going to need a GSM cell phone.
Alas, the United States did not standardize and consequently competing wireless
standards emerged from the various
wireless carriers. As a rule of thumb,
most phones purchased through AT&T
and T-Mobile (which use the same technology as Europe) work fine abroad,
while only some phones from Verizon or
Sprint do — check your operating manual
(look for “tri-band,” “quad-band,” or
“GSM”). If you’re not sure, ask your service provider. carriers. Though you will be
accessible on your US number while
overseas, the "international roaming"
rate for this service can be measured in
dollars per minute and these per-minute
costs will add up. A lot.
To really take advantage of a
cell phone overseas, you will
want to purchase your own
unlocked GSM cell phone and
a local prepaid SIM card. This
is a much more affordable
option if you’ll be making lots of calls,
since it gives you 24/7 access to cheap
European rates (rather than having to pay
pricey international roaming fees). Although remarkably cheap, this option does
require a willingness to do a bit of shopping around for the right phone and card.
Savvy travelers who routinely buy separate SIM cards swear by this tactic. You
can also just buy a basic cell phone in
most countries for $40—$50, which typically includes some call time. This is usually the best option for students studying
overseas. Unlike typical cell phones in the
US, GSM world cell phones do not come
with phone numbers programmed into
them and the actual service is not even
tied to the phone itself. Instead customers
activate their mobile phones by popping in
SIM cards, little thumbnail sized devices
that determine your cell phone number
and any additional services like voicemail.
A pre-paid SIM card for each country you
visit gives you a local phone number and
local calling rates are usually a low 25
cents/minute. It is easy, convenient, and
relatively inexpensive for you to call other
people in the country you're visiting, and
easy and normal for them to call to you on
your local number, too. Best of all, incoming calls are FREE regardless of where
they originate. You can replenish your airtime on the SIM card by purchasing an
airtime voucher in one of the local currency
denominations. They are available at most
newsstands, kiosks and convenience
stores. The airtime vouchers are scratch
cards that have a pin code which you simply key into your phone for immediate credit.
In summary, with a prepaid cell phone you
have a cost effective way of staying in
touch with no bills, no roaming charges and
no hassles.
Know the country calling codes! Be sure
your family and friends know how to dial
from the United States to call you overseas.
At the same time, know how you can make
overseas calls from your host country.
Check if your long-distance phone company
(AT&T, MCI, or Sprint) has a special rate
between the United States and country
where you will be studying.
Calling over the Internet: A few things that
seem too good to be true...really are true.
And making totally free voice and video
calls over the Internet is one of those
things. Taking advantage of this option can
help you stay in better touch, and spend far
less. All you need is a smartphone, tablet,
or laptop; a strong Wi-Fi signal; and an
account with one of the major Internet
calling providers: Skype, FaceTime
(preloaded on most Apple devices),
or Google+ Hangouts. To get started, visit
the service’s website or download its free
app, and register. Once you’re signed up,
you can talk online via your computer to a
Page 18
Practical Considerations
… continued Cell Phones, Computers, and Email
buddy with a device running the same
program — just look for them on your list
of contacts, and click “Voice Call” or
“Video Call.” If both of you have cameras,
you can see each other while you chat.
You can even show off the perfect piazza
view out your hotel-room window. NOTE:
Beware of hackers hijacking your Skype
account. There are reports of keystroke
hackers and users end up saddled with
large amounts on their bill.
Many Internet calling programs also work
for making calls from your computer to
telephones worldwide. Most services
charge a very reasonable fee — generally
just a few cents per minute (you’ll have to
prebuy some credit). For example, many
students use Skype to make computer-totelephone calls to home.
Email. E-mail is by far the cheapest form
of communication and having a laptop
computer made this quite easy, what with
free WiFi available in many institutions
and cities overseas. In addition, having a
computer also makes writing papers and
downloading photos more convenient.
The AC adapter of most laptops today are
dual voltage and can be used
anywhere in the world with a plug
adaptor.
If you prefer not to bring a computer, you should have computer
access at your host university or
program office. Internet cafes are also plentiful and cheap in many cities around the
world. Try creating a mass email list so you
can update a group of people in less time. If
you do have to send mass email updates, ask
your family to save the messages for you.
When you return home and are ready to assemble your photo album, your email updates
can provide the narratives for the photos you
took or the mementos you collected.
This may strike you as a strange suggestion,
but try not to email or call home too often
because that can really slow down the adjustment process. Set up a communication
schedule: a specific time of the week when
family and friends can call you. Many returned students suggest a phone call at regular intervals, planned in advance — and we
think that’s an excellent solution. Sometimes
a situation can arise which we call
"destructive dialing": a student gets upset
about something and calls home; the parent
gets upset and calls back later,
making the student more upset—and so on until the situation reaches a crisis point.
You’ll want to avoid that, and
regular, limited calling can help.
We also tend to discourage constant email
correspondence, though it’s extremely useful for trouble-shooting. The problem is that
if you are able to log-on and chat electronically at will, the incentive to integrate with
the community abroad is much decreased.
Instead of exploring your host country or
making friends with the locals, you are
spending valuable time emailing people. If
you are participating in a language program,
it’s obviously better if you are not communicating extensively in English by email when
you’re trying to improve your fluency by
immersion in a foreign language. So send
email updates occasionally, but don’t feel
compelled to chat with family and friends.
Do not let your constant need to stay in touch
with people from home impede the acculturation process. Disconnect and savor the excitement of learning about a new culture and
meeting new people.
Cameras and Photo-sharing sites
Digital cameras are invaluable for
ease of use, and for the speed
with which students can share
photos with family and friends.
Definitely don’t leave home without one.
Showing your photos to family and
friends is one way they can share your
experience. Years from now, you will be
able to relive your wonderful semester
abroad! Just the same, know when to
draw the line and just let the experience
happen. If your experience is being hindered by the constant need to take photographs, you may want to reconsider.
Don’t sacrifice your journey so you will
have some photos to look at later. Overuse of the camera can take away from
your travel experience by removing some of the spontaneity while
you look for the perfect shot.
Consider opening an account with
an online photo site like
www.flikr.com, www.picasa.com,
www.shutterfly.com, or
www.snapfish.com. This way, all you have
to do is download your photos on the web
and your family and friends from back
home can view them at their leisure.
HOWEVER, don’t just indiscriminately
download hundreds of photos and then
expect your family and friends to appreciate them all. Either edit the photos from
your digital camera before downloading
them on the photo sites, or just download a
few photos at a time. Above all, don’t
forget to include descriptions! A sentence
or two about a photograph is what will
make it come alive to the simple viewer.
There’s a difference between a photo of
you atop an elephant and the same photo
with the sentence, “This beast’s trunk
started slapping my hand for a banana
treat the minute the trek started. By the
time we reached Chiang Mai, my banana
bunch was gone!” Some study abroad
students invite friends to view all 50 photos at a time, and many are simply duplicate shots! (Of course, if you follow the
tips listed in the next section, you won’t
end up with a lot of ho-hum photographs.)
Page 19
Practical Considerations
Taking Great Shots
By all means, take photos!
Lots of them! And while you’re
at it, try to take the best shots
that you can. Renowned photographers from the National
Geographic magazine share
the following tips for taking
unforgettable photographs :
 Keep your images simple, clean, and
focused. Make them graphically strong
and uncluttered. Identify your subject or
center of interest (around which everything else will be peripheral) and then
compose the background.
–Steve
McCurry
 Photograph what you can relate to, a
mood that’s familiar to you. Great photography does not come from being in
Madrid, or Sydney, or
London. It’s the photo’s
focal point that will make
it memorable. Including
people in your photos,
even if they are not the
primary subjects, creates
a “moment.” People add
scale, vitality, and sensibility. –David
Alan Harvey
 Getting close to people is the best way
to get close to the culture. The camera
is a great tool for meeting people. Be
friendly and polite, listen to people, and
take your cues from how they are acting.
Sit down with people and you’ll get great
pictures. Always ask permission before
taking photos of people. Photos of nature and landscapes are boring. There
is no sense of scale, and no sense of
“you are there.” When you include people in your photos, have them do something like walk, talk or climb – anything
but just standing there. Every photo
should be capturing a moment in time. –
Catherine Karnow
 Cloudy days can be fine for portraits of
people and close-ups, but nothing beats
that early-morning or late-evening light.
For some reason, the evening light always lasts longer and can sometimes be
best after the sun has set. Keep your
equipment light and simple. You’ll only
shoot great pictures if you have a camera
on you. –John Kernick
Keeping a Journal
You will visit many places and see many wonderful things, but most
certainly, the greatest
journey takes place
inside of you. It is for
this reason we strongly suggest that you keep a
journal, either in book or electronic form.
best things you can do to enrich your study abroad
experience.
places, and events that you will encounter during
your time overseas.
While many students agree that keeping a journal
while studying abroad is a good idea, many end up
getting bogged down with the recording and writing
task and give up. The thing is: almost everyone
regrets not keeping a journal!
One thing you can do is purchase a sturdy but
portable notebook, diary or journal with heavy
pages and use the pages to “record” daily events:
paste or tape mementos from your time abroad
(tickets, menus, maps, candy wrappers, postcards,
newspaper clippings), doodle or draw interesting
objects you observed or jot down names, phones
numbers, addresses, impressions, ideas.
One of the main reasons people give up on writing a
journal is that they find the process of writing down
every detail of their experience overwhelming and
sometimes quite boring. Many journal entries go
something like this: “First we went … and then we
saw … and then we went … and then ….” This type
of writing stifles your creative juices and does not
encourage good writing technique. Plus, it’s too
laborious – it will take a while to regurgitate your
Writing is thinking. Keeping a journal gives a entire day on paper.
record of events, activities, and thoughts. It enWe suggest keeping a journal in which the emphasis
gages you in your personal overseas experience
is less on the chronological details and more on
through thinking, interpreting, and analyzing crossyour impressions, feelings, vivid descriptions, and
cultural situations.
ideas. Certainly, jot down names and places, and
Making regular entries will certainly take some include narratives as much as you can. However, if
time and energy. Whether you make daily entries you don’t have time, even short descriptions and
or write only when the urge hits will be up to you – keywords will ensure that you will have some way of
but get into the journaling habit! It is one of the remembering the amazing and unforgettable people,
You might think you have a good memory, but
many of the things that you will experience abroad
will only be kept in short-term memory storage (in
your brain, that is). A few weeks after the event -you will forget many of the details unless you jot
down a sentence or two in a journal, on a mass
email you write to friends and family, on a blog, or
alternatively, in the photos you take.
You can also go the electronic route by setting up
an account with blog sites like www.facebook.com,
www.wordpress.com, www.blogger.com. While
you may be writing for the people following your
blog, eventually, you will realize that your blog has
successfully captured and tracked your personal
journey while studying abroad. Reviewing your
writings later, you would read about your early
impressions about your new environment, the
people you meet, your classes, where you are
living and how these impressions changed over
time. You will most likely be astonished and impressed at your transformation from a bewildered
new student to a confident person by the time you
have to return home.
Page 20
Practical Considerations
How to Write a Blog You Want to Read!
An online blog
while you are
studying abroad
will be valuable
for many people.
For you, the blog
will serve as a
record of your
thoughts, impressions, memorable
experiences, and
unique insights of your life abroad. For
your family and friends, your regular posts
will be their way of vicariously experiencing your adventures. For outbound students, your entries will be useful information from students who’ve “been there,
done that..” And for prospective students
at Purdue, reading about your escapades
and living to tell the tale, so to speak,
might entice them to study abroad too.
After all, if you can do it, then perhaps so
can they!
As a blog writer, you probably want to
attract and maintain regular readership.
It will be more satisfying to write if you
know there are readers waiting with baited breaths for your new entries. It will be
disappointing if by the time your study
term ends, that only your parents and
siblings are still reading your posts. Below
are some tips for how you can maintain,
and hey, perhaps even increase your followers.
1. Decide on a topic, point of view, or
your niche.
The most essential element of your blog
is content -- and what you should strive
for is original content, written in a style
and with a point of view that makes the
blog unique (even when there are hundreds of other blogs with the same or
similar topic). Do not use the blog to
simply feature a blow-by-blow account of
your daily study abroad experiences.
Most new blogs are just a list of events
connected with adjectives. Come up
with a thesis statement for each post
and let the contents revolve around that
point.
2. You should be writing a blog that has
personality, and that personality should
be your own.
Your blog needs to be capable of reflecting who you are, and your own personality. If it reads like a bunch of dull news,
then it is highly unlikely that visitors will
want to return. So, if you love your subject then let your readers know, share
your enthusiasm, make it contagious.
3. Write with the reader in mind.
What is in it for your readers? Readers
want to find fresh, valuable, entertaining
remarkable information. Make an effort
to deliver more than just facts. Make it
about them too, not you.
4. Brevity is a virtue.
A long post is easier to forget and harder to
get into. A short post is the opposite. Give
the maximum amount of information with
the least amount of words. Keep things
short and simple, because most people
simply skim and scan over material. So
unless you have a really good reason to post
lengthy entries in your blog, do not burden
your readers with too much information.
5. Make headlines snappy.
Entice people to read your entries with an
intriguing or provocative headline — but
don’t mislead them.
6. Write in the same way that you talk.
It is okay to use common expressions and to
write conversationally. Let your blog be fluid,
conversational and friendly, and your readers will keep coming back for more.
7. Tell people about your blog..
It is not true that “if you write it, they will
come.” Every blogger has to promote his or
her blog. Let people know your blog is out
there and be clear about what it has to offer.
8. Edit your post.
Good writing is in the editing. Before you hit
the submit button, re-read your post and cut
out the stuff that you don’t need. Look for
typos and for grammatical errors. Don’t publish spelling mistakes. Polish your content to
show that you respect your readers
A blog is a personal diary. A daily pulpit. A collaborative
space. A political soapbox. A breaking-news outlet. A
collection of links. Your own private thoughts. Memos
to the world.
Anonymous
Page 21
Practical Considerations
PACKING POINTERS
The key to packing for your time
abroad is economy. Since you will be
carrying your own luggage during the
trip, often for long stretches in airports, bus and train stations, and from
the station to your residence hall or
apartment, you must pack sensibly.
Do not bring items that will distract
you from the multitude of interesting
experiences awaiting you. No student has ever complained
about packing too little. But, oh, do we hear groans from
almost everyone who packed too much!
Here’s what we suggest. Pack what you plan to take, then
walk around the block two or three times and go up and
down stairs. If you can't make it, you've over packed! The
lighter your bags, the better! Besides, you should expect
to purchase a few items while overseas. Fashion at your
host city could be different and you will probably want to
get the latest duds. Europe and Asia are probably a year
or two ahead of the United States style-wise. You’ll also
probably purchase a souvenir or two (or more!). So here
are some general suggestions that apply to travel anywhere in the world.
Checked Luggage and Carry-on Bags
You will be packing
your whole semester
in 2 suitcases so invest in rugged, wellmade, versatile, lightweight luggage. Here
are a few other things
to remember:
 Label your luggage on both the outside and the inside with your name,
address, and destination. If you do
not know your overseas address, give
the program or university address.
 With the heightened security these
days, passengers are not able to lock
their suitcases anymore since bags
could be searched by TSA agents anytime. You can “lock” your bags with
twist ties or locks that are TSAapproved. Just the same, be sure to
take a lock with you so you can lock
your bags when you arrive at your
destination. If you'll be taking most of
your belongings in a duffel bag or
backpack, have at least one small
suitcase that locks so you can use it
for your valuables.
 Luggage can occasionally go astray. Don’t pack
valuables, medication, or
your passport in checked
suitcases.
 In your carry-on bag,
pack only your essentials (such as prescriptions, personal hygiene items,
passport and a change of clothes) and
valuable items (tickets, passport, computer, jewelry, camera, important documents). Put everything else in your
checked bags.
 Attach a bright tag or ribbon to your
luggage handle so it will be easy to
distinguish from all other black bags on
the airport conveyor belt. Better yet,
get a more colorful, conspicuous bag.
 If you plan to do a lot of traveling
(vacation, overnight, or weekend trips),
avoid hand-held suitcases or bags and
opt for a backpack for hands-free travel. Your backpack should be light, durable, and comfortable. Get one made
of tough fabrics like pack-cloth or Cordura. Go with a reputable name brand
to ensure quality.
 When you purchase your backpack, try it
on and adjust the straps, pads, and
internal frame. Make sure the pack fits
your body contours. Check out the quality of the suspension system. The suspension system of most modern packs
is designed to transfer most of the
weight to your hips reducing back strain.
Play with the adjustments to fine-tune
the fit. If a pack does not feel right now,
it won’t feel right after several hours of
walking around.
 Take a day-pack with you. You can either buy a separate one or just buy a
travel backpack that has a detachable
daypack that zips onto the outside. You
can use your daypack for daily outings
while you leave the large pack at the
hostel or the local train station.
Page 22
Practical Considerations
Packing the Essentials
Pack your travel documents in your carryon bag. These should not be in your
checked luggage. In addition to tickets
and passport, you should also have important documents like acceptance letters, financial statements, and others.
While you may want to exchange a small
dollar amount for the currency at your
host country through your local bank, you
do not have to exchange a very large
amount. You need only to have enough
for emergencies and to tide you over for
a day or two until you can get to a local
ATM Chances are, you can immediately
find one at your arrival airport. Below
are a few more pointers:
 Pack you medication in your carry-on
luggage.
 Purchase a money belt or neck pouch
for
cash,
plane tickets,
and
passport.
Wear
this
inside your
clothing
when traveling. If you have to take out money, do
so in private.
 Make copies of the information page of
your passport, airline tickets, rail pass,
ISIC card, hostel card, and traveler’s
checks. Keep copies somewhere in
your luggage and give one set of copies
to a trusted person for safekeeping in
the event that these items are lost or
stolen. Another option is to scan these
documents and store them in a
memory stick, take photos with your
phone, or send them to yourself as
email attachments.
 Clean out your wallet before you leave.
You don't need your BoilerExpress card
while studying abroad. Leave all unnecessary items at home.
 Remember to pack a change of clothing in your carry-on to get you through
at least a day. Airlines do lose luggage.
 Board the plane with water and snacks
for emergencies. You never know if the
plane will sit for hours on the runway.
 For travel expenses while en route to
your destination (meals, taxis, overnight accommodations if necessary),
change a small amount of money into
foreign currency. Ask your local banks
if they provide this service.
Updated Travel Guide
Don't leave home without
purchasing the latest issue of
a travel guide: Let’s Go, Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Insight Guide, or other travel
guides that appeal to you.
These books give lots of practical information, useful
phrases, even a brief history
of your host country, plus
some customs and traditions
you need to be aware of.
Make sure your travel guide is as current
as possible. The world is changing very
fast! A guide book that is only a year old
may already contain plenty of incorrect
and outdated information (phone and fax
numbers, opening/closing hours, website, room rates, transportation availability, and others). Spend the money on a
current edition and save yourself the
headaches. A travel guide will pay for
itself after a couple of weekend travels.
Consider how many regions your travel
guide covers. Some guides
include many countries yet
you may only be going to
one or two of them. If you
will be traveling in only one
country, purchase a guide
that focuses on that country
alone. You will find much
more detailed information
relevant to you. If you are
traveling to several countries, purchase a multi-country guide but
rip out the pages of the countries that you
won’t be going to. This may seem excessive, but every pound counts when carried
on your back.
If you know other students who are participating in the same program, you may want
to collaborate with them so that each person purchases a different travel guide.
This way, you will have more resources to
use when you are planning vacation or
weekend travels while you are abroad.
Travel Guides cater to specific types of
travelers so purchase the type that meets
your needs. For example, Let’s Go are written for college students on a budget so
don’t expect high-end hotels on the accommodations list. If you want listings of more
unusual places to visit, you might want to
purchase a Rough Guide or Moon Guide
books.
If you’d rather not carry books, you can also
download audio Travel Guides on your
phone and iPod (check the iTunes store for
choices), or electronic versions of travel
guides on your e-reader, tablet, or laptop
computer.
Of course, you may be wondering why we
still recommend a travel guide in book form.
That’s because it is more convenient to be
able to flip pages when you are in a hurry,
mark or make notes on the written page, or
slip the book inside your backpack helterskelter without worrying about doing damage to an expensive electronic device.
Page 23
Practical Considerations
Clothing, Footwear, and other Personal Items
Going black is always a good idea.
 You DO NOT have to pack a term’s worth
of clothes. Pack 2 week’s worth then
then do laundry the rest of the time.
Chances are you will also go shopping
for new clothes. Sure, jeans are universal, but there will be enough fashion
differences between the US and other
countries that you will probably feel
compelled to dress like young people
from your host country.
With only 2 suitcases and a whole semester ahead, deciding which clothes
and shoes to bring overseas would be a
very big decision indeed. Our suggestions:
 Consider packing clothes in spacebags
to reduce the bulk. Fleece pullovers and
winter coats can take up a lot of space.
Note however that only volume will be
reduced, not the mass.
 Choose clothing that will allow a
minimum amount of items to be
carried. This is done by selecting
items that can be mixed and
matched together, based on color
and styles, to create a variety of outfits. Remember that accessories
(scarves, pins, brooches, belts) can
also change your look.
 If you are going to a cold place, the key
to staying warm is to layer your clothing.
Rather than packing bulky or heavy
items, simply take a few lighter and thinner pieces that can be worn together.
 Bring clothes that are easy to care
for. In some countries, laundromats
may not be as available. If you are
living with a family, the family may
not have a clothes dryer. Be prepared to do laundry by hand. Don’t
bring clothes that need to be drycleaned or ironed.
 Some countries, like the UK, may be
humid and clothes will take longer to
dry. Clothes made with tencel, microfiber, jersey knit, microfleece,
microsuede, or other modern fabrics
are great for traveling. They are
light, easy to care for, and non-bulky.
Heavy cotton sweatshirts and denim
jeans are heavy, take up space in
your bags, dry slowly, and do not
wick sweat away from your body.
 Pack dark-colored trousers or skirts
so dirt won’t show quite so easily.
 If you plan to do some vacation travel
while overseas, consider investing in a
Pak Towel. These special towels are
super-absorbent, very lightweight, and
dry in an instant.
 Leave expensive and dearly loved items
at home. For heaven’s sake, don't take
the family jewelry or items that have
great sentimental value. Leave them at
home where you will be sure they will
not be lost or stolen. In fact, you shouldn’t pack anything you can’t afford to
lose.
 In all likelihood, you are going to destinations where most things are available.
You do not have to bring everything!
Some items (bed linens, towels, hair
dryers, toiletries) are best purchased
overseas!
 For women: if you can’t do without your
make-up bag, pare down your grooming
routine to the basics. The last thing you
need is a ton of cosmetics and grooming
products weighing you down as you
board planes, trains, and buses.
 Invest in good footwear. It is important to
buy high quality shoes that are going to
last you a while so you don’t get stuck
paying double for a new pair in another
country. Shoes may be the cheapest
thing you can buy in the US.
 Bring only broken-in, comfortable pairs of
shoes! You will do a lot of walking on
campus, within your host city, or while
traveling. Do not bring new and unworn
shoes no matter how cute they are. Aching, blistered feet will be absolute hell
when you’re abroad!
 If you are traveling to a warmer climate,
there is nothing more comfortable than a
good pair of sandals. They let your feet
breathe, and if they are of good quality,
provide your feet with enough support for
most activities. Teva, Keens, or Chaco
sandals are a few brands to consider.
 Place your shoes in plastic shopping bags
so that when they are packed with
clothes, dirt from the soles don’t touch
your clean clothes. When packing, place
your shoes at the bottom and fill in any
gaps using socks and underwear.
 Create an immediate positive first impression by offering your overseas academic
advisor, host parents, exchange student
coordinator, or resident director with a
little souvenir from Purdue or your
hometown on arrival.
The present
doesn't have to be extravagant: a Purdue
keychain, T-shirt, pen, calendar, and other small items are quite appropriate. A
gift is a small token of your appreciation
to the hosts for accepting you to the
school or their home. It's a very gracious
gesture that will establish goodwill between you and the other person. An added bonus: these people are also more
likely to remember who you are!
Page 24
Practical Considerations
Gear and Gadgets
Electrical systems are
abroad!
large items at your program site. If you insist on
different around the world.
taking your own, be sure they are properly
 If you find you must take valuable items such as
packed and insured for the trip. Check with your
In some countries you
laptop computers or video recorders, consider inairline regarding fees and packing restrictions.
need a converter to use
suring them before you leave. Check with your
U.S. appliances due to
insurance agent company to see how to insure it  Avoid surprises at the airport. If you are planvoltage differences. Even
against damage or theft overseas, and check with
ning to bring items such as bicycles or skis you
with a converter, however, U.S. appliances still
the manufacturer for instructions about using a
must contact the airline in advance. Be premight not work properly.
converter to deal with the voltage or cycle differpared to either pay an excess luggage charge or
ences.
to substitute one of your pieces of luggage for
 American appliances and gadgets run on 110
the extra item.
volts, while most of the world is on 220 volts.  Register imported items, such as tape recorders,
Newer travel accessories and electronic gadgcameras, watches, etc. with U.S. customs before  If you are planning to stay in hostels, you should
ets are “dual voltage,” which means they work
leaving the States. Foreign-made items are subject
buy or make a sleep sack. You can make one
on both American and world current. If you
to duty charges when you reenter the U.S. unless
simply by sewing two flat sheets together or you
see a range of voltages printed on the item or
you can prove you purchased them here (such as
can buy one at a travel store. Hostels will
its plug (such as “110–220”), you’re OK. If
by showing the receipt). Take the items to Customs
sometimes charge for renting sheets and you
not, you will need a bulky converter, but frankat the airport and fill in a registration slip. When you
can save by bringing your own. Your sleep sack
ly, it’s not worth it. Get a new dual-voltage
reenter the U.S., show the Customs officials the
will also protect you from “suspicious” sleeping
gadget, buy one at your host university, or
slip.
surfaces.
just do without.
 Bring a travel alarm if you don’t own a smartphone.  If you’d like to see what handy travel gadgets
 A small adapter allows American-style plugs
Even better, just use a wristwatch with a built-in
are out there, check out these sites:
(two flat prongs) to fit into other countries’
alarm.
www.travelsmith.com. www.llbean.com.
outlets. Secure your adapter to your device’s
www.eddiebauer.com, www.campnor.com, and
plug with electrical or duct tape; otherwise it  There is no guarantee you can carry musical instruwww.magellans.com
ments in the cabin of the plane. If you intend to
can easily get left behind in the outlet.
take one on your flight, be prepared to ship it in the
 Many students find that it is easiest to buy hair
hold. Insure it and have your name and address on
dryers and other appliances at the program
the case.
site. If you take battery-operated gadgets, be
aware that batteries are more expensive  You can usually buy or rent bikes, skis, or other
Bringing a digital camera?
Do consider paying more for image stabilization, or "anti-shake" technology. Many new cameras now feature image stabilization (look
for the letters "IS" or "AS" in the name) that compensate for shaky hands or long lenses. You'll pay a bit more for the feature, but it's
worth it for travelers who are frequently shooting in low-light conditions, like a cathedral or museum interior.
Do choose a camera that accepts a common battery format. Avoid cameras with "proprietary" batteries that will be hard to find while
traveling. Pick a camera that uses common "AA" batteries that can be found in any drugstore or airport.
Do buy rechargeable batteries and a charger. Rechargeable cameras cost more to start but you can charge those hundreds of times. If
you're getting ready for a lengthy trip abroad, go to Radio Shack and buy a set of plug adapters for foreign AC converters (you don't
need a voltage adapter for most chargers, just the plug adapter kit: www.radioshack.com, model #273-1405, $19.95).
Don't skimp when it comes to buying extra memory cards. The price of the two most popular formats of memory cards (CF and SD) is
cheap, really cheap, so buy more than you think you'll need. If you run out, you'll stop shooting or be forced to erase other pictures. So
don't run out.
Don't get the biggest unless you really need it. Size, weight, and bulk are serious issues when buying a camera. If you're someone who
hates hauling a load through airports and in and out of hotels, don't get a big camera. There is a lot to be said for the less-is-more theory. Remember that you'll probably want to take your camera out to dinner sometimes, and you'll be carrying it with you on those daylong field trips, so don't buy what you don't feel good about carrying.
Page 25
Practical Considerations
Packing List
This list is designed to be a general
guide and is not intended for a particular country. As such, the list would be
altered depending on your destination,
time of year, amount of money you will
have, and the length of time you will be
away.
___ Pens, pads, notebooks—can be expensive if purchased abroad.
___ English-Host Country Dictionary
___ Alarm clock (battery operated)
___ Watch
___ Pictures from home
BEFORE YOU GO:
___ Small gifts for host family and new
friends
___ Passport
___ Diary or journal
___ Visa
___ Travel Guides
___ Appt. with Dr/DDS
___ Insurance information
PAPERWORK:
___ Credit Cards with PIN numbers
___ Copy of your Course Approval Form
___ Traveler's checks
___ Name, email, phone number of your
advisor
___ Currency of host country (about
$100)
CLOTHING:
___ Drip dry, no iron, minimum care clothes
___ Layerable clothes for weather changes
___ Waterproof jacket (preferably Gore-Tex)
___ Comfortable shoes
___ Flip-flops for communal showers
___ Socks-thin cotton, thermal, wool
___ Hat or visor
___ Gloves/scarf
___ Skirt
___ Pants
___ Tops
___ Swimsuit
___ This study abroad handbook
___ Underwear
___ U.S. cash (dollar bills come in
handy)
___ Your program handbook and other
materials
___ One nice outfit (for social or cultural
events)
___ Plane tickets
___ Travel documents
___ Health Documentation
___ Important documents (prescriptions,
medical information, insurance card
and policy statement, acceptance
letter)
___ Extra ID
___ International Student ID card
(ISIC)
___ Course materials and books
MISCELLANEOUS:
___ Cards, games
___ Duct tape (wrap around a pen)
___ Towel & washcloth (for travel)
HEALTH CARE NEEDS:
___ Leisure reading in English
___ Prescription medication/
Contraceptives
___ Umbrella
___ First Aid Kit
___ Plastic zip-lock bags
___ Band Aids
___ Spare set of glasses or contact lenses
___ Moleskin (for blisters)
___ Antiseptic cream
___ Small pocketknife (pack in checked
luggage)
___ Sunscreen
___ Maps
___ Tweezers
___ A sack or garbage bag for dirty cloths
___ Sewing kit
___ Scissors
___ Good padlock/keys
___ Painkillers and decongestants
___ Lots of patience, a good attitude, and a
sense of humor
___ Luggage Tags
___ Antacid
___ Toiletries and cosmetics
___ Diarrhea Medicine
___ Camera and accessories
___ Malaria Pills (where needed)
___ Emergency information
___ Update your MyPurdue information
IMPORTANT BASICS:
___ Luggage
___ Travel pack or Daypack
___ Fanny pack, money belt or neck
pouch
___ Sunglasses and sunscreen
Page 26
Practical Considerations
Information at your Fingertips
Gather all of the information and documents
you might need while
you are overseas.
When possible, also
leave a copy home for
your family and
friends.

Contact information for:
 Citizen assistance section of

Emergency and communication plan

Your U.S. bank account, and
credit card numbers and contact info in case of loss

Your passport number

Duplicate lost passport kit containing:
 On-site resident director
 Home office of program provider
or host university study abroad
office
 U.S. State Department Office of
Overseas Citizen Services
Insurance policy number and
how to submit claims (Purdue
insurance or insurance from
the program provider)

 You (street address and cell
phone number)
 Official copy of your birth
the U.S. embassy or consulate nearest your student’s
program site
certificate
 Copy of your passport
information and visa pages

Program calendar

Name of local physician—if
you require medical supervision while overseas

Personal Emergency Action
Plan—see Appendix at the
end of the Health and Safety
 two passport photos
Students and their families
can get preoccupied with
what to take that they forget
to consider the things and
information that should be
left behind.
Planning your Departure: The Strategy
_____
Research travel information and determine travel documents you need.
_____
Compare airfares and make airline reservations.
_____
PURCHASE ROUND-TRIP AIRFARE! You may not be allowed to board a plane, or worse, denied entry at
your destination if you only have a one-way ticket!
_____
Purchase an International Student ID card if desired or required for flight.
_____
Attend to all registration, financial aid, and academic matters at Purdue.
_____
Determine how you will handle your finances and make arrangements accordingly.
_____
Attend to healthcare issues (take prescriptions with you, get dental and eye exams, and others).
_____
Know some basic arrival information (useful phrases, airport transportation, etc).
_____
Use various resources to get as much information as you can about your host country.
_____
Purchase a good travel guide (Don’t leave home without one!).
_____
Plan what items you will pack.
_____
Do a “dress rehearsal” with your bags. Carry them around the block like you would in an airport or
train station. Unload items you can do without. Repack bag.
_____
Repeat above as often as necessary. Remember – you must remain mobile!!
_____
Know what to expect the first three days of orientation at your overseas site.
_____
Begin the mental shift, for you won’t be in Indiana (or Kansas, or Illinois …) anymore!
Travel Tips
Revised Edition
Travel Tips
Page 27
Planning Your Itinerary
What this section is
about:
Planning your study
abroad travels — flying to
your host city, various
weekend jaunts, insemester vacation travel,
and perhaps even a more
extensive backpacking
trip at the end of the
semester — will be a significant part of your
study abroad experience.
It is important therefore
to have the resources to
plan sensibly, get more
bang for your buck, stay
healthy and safe, and
have a fabulous time!
There’s more to travel
planning than finding the
cheapest airfare. Pay
attention to layover time
between flights, the number of connections you
have to make, and your
arrival time.
Planning your itinerary to
your host city is the first
big trip you have to plan.
Some programs offer an
optional group flight. If
this is the case for your
program, you will receive
group flight information
from the program provider after you have been accepted. If you choose to
take the group flight, then voila – you’re done.
tween connecting flights, how many connections
you have to make, and especially your arrival
time at your final destination. Choose flights with
reasonable layover times to avoid missing connecting flights should there be a delay. Traveling
overseas can be exhausting and bewildering.
The fewer connections you have to make, the
better off you are. If a nonstop flight costs just a
little bit more than another that has several connections, opt for the former. The additional price
will be worth it.
Many students, however, choose or have to make
their own arrangements to get to the program site.
If this is the case for you, then it would make
sense to comparison shop as fares can differ significantly from one airline or one company to another. If you have purchased an International
Student Identity Card (ISIC), you will be entitled to
a discounted student fare, if available. In any
case, be sure to mention that you are a student;
sometimes lower student fares are available without the card. To compare prices, check out various internet travel sites (Orbitz, Travelocity, Expedia, and in particular student travel sites like Student Universe http://www.studentuniverse.com
and STA Travel http://www.sta.com). There are
websites like www.kayak.com, www.sidestep.com,
or www.momondo.com that allow you to compare
fares will come in handy too. Check the resource
page at the beginning of this handbook for additional web resources.
When purchasing your tickets, make sure the
ticket is under the exact name that appears on
your passport. You may have been using “Miley
Cyrus” rather than your full name “Destiny Hope
Cyrus” on many documents all your life, but you
will be denied boarding if there is a discrepancy
between the name on your passport and the
name on the airline ticket.
When arranging your flight, MAKE SURE TO PURCHASE ROUND-TRIP AIRFARE even if you are not
sure when you want to return to the U.S. or if you
have travel plans after your program. You may not
be allowed to board your plane for overseas or
worse, denied entry into your host country if you
are only holding a one-way ticket. If you book a
flight through STA Travel or Student Universe.com,
the change fee for changing you return flight is
pretty reasonable.
In addition, don’t focus solely on the cheapest
airfare. Pay attention also to layover time be-
Double-check that you have the foreign document requirements you need to enter the country
(passport and student visa, acceptance letter
from host institution, proof of financial means,
residence permit, and others). Keep these safe
and secure!
It is also better to arrive at your destination on a
weekday and during work hours. In an emergency, you can call the onsite program office or study
abroad office at your host university and more
than likely reach someone who is in a position to
help you.
If traveling on your own, you are expected to be
at your program site before the program begins
or in time to participate in an orientation. If you
are arriving before the recommended arrival
date, be sure to inquire in advance if accommodations will be available when you arrive.
Finally, inform the Study Abroad Office of your
travel plans by returning the Travel Itinerary form.
Page 28
Travel Tips
Before Your Overseas Flight
If you have not flown in the past
year or so, you may not remember some of the basic things
that you need to do. You may
also be unfamiliar with the security changes that were put in
place to increase the level of
security for airline passengers.
Identification. When you checkin, you will be asked by the counter and gate agents to present
your passport and your ticket or
boarding pass. Do not forget
your passport – you cannot
leave the United States without
it.
Airport Code. Know the 3-letter
airport code for your destination
and make sure your bags are
tagged properly. This will help
ensure your bags are going on
the same flight as you!
Security checkpoints. Depending on the security procedure in
place, the security agents at the
checkpoints near the gates may
insist on searching every carryon luggage or bags you bring on
board. Many airports even insist
that all passengers remove their
shoes. In Amsterdam, every
passenger gets a personal interview from a security officer. Just
relax, answer truthfully, and
you’ll soon be on your way.
your baggage unattended on the
curb or in the terminal because it
may be considered a suspicious
package and confiscated by airport security. Also, if you are taking presents to friends or your
host family, leave the gifts unwrapped so that security personnel can inspect the contents.
You cannot take bottled water
and liquid or cream (like toothpaste or hand lotion) in containers over 3 oz. Toiletries have to
be packed in plastic quart-size
ziplock bags. These security
precautions can take time, so be
sure you arrive at the airport at
least two hours before your
scheduled departure.
Also keep in mind that you are
limited in the amount of carry-on
and checked baggage you are
allowed. Paying for oversized or
overweight baggage can be expensive. The amount can be up
to $100 per pound over the maximum allowed weight. Travel light.
Do not stuff your carry-on bag.
Remember that anything you
bring, you will have to carry. Also,
a very heavy carry-on bag may fall
out of the overhead bin and
cause severe injuries to you or
another passenger.
Find out
what the limits are for carry-on
and checked baggage for your
airline and plan accordingly.
Baggage. These days, passengers are asked not to lock their
bags in case they are randomly
or deliberately chosen for inspection by TSA agents. Use a
twist-tie or a sturdy piece of electrical wire to “lock” your checked
luggage zippers. Do not leave
During the Flight
No one enjoys long flights, but
there are a few things you can
do to make yourself more comfortable. If you plan ahead, you
won’t have to spend a whole
day recovering from jet lag.
Clothes. Make sure you dress
appropriately. Being uncomfortable can make a long trip
seem even longer. Wear stylish
(look presentable and make a
good impression when you
present yourself at Passport
Control at your destination) but
non-binding clothing as you will
experience some swelling during the flight. Wear layers so
you can remain comfortable
even if the temperature varies
during the flight. Your shoes
should also be loose fitting because your feet swell even more
than the rest of your body. Bring
along a heavy pair of socks or
slipper socks so you can take off
your shoes during the flight and
still be able to keep your feet
warm and clean.
Diet Eat a light meal on the day
of your flight. Flying on a full
stomach could cause some physical distress. Fruit and granola
bars are good snacks. Flying
causes dehydration so make sure
you drink plenty of fluids but stay
away from coffee and alcohol.
Bottled water is the best choice.
Consume around 8 ounces for
each hour of flight time. Adequate water consumption also
helps reduce jet lag.
Medication If you have a tendency toward motion sickness,
Dramamine could help this condition. Sinus medication may
also be needed as the air pressure can be difficult to adjust to
when going from lower to higher
altitudes and vice versa. Relieve
any pressure in your ears by
simulating a yawn or chewing
gum. You may also want to have
good moisturizer and eye drops.
Try not to wear your contact
lenses for the flight. Use moisturizer liberally every few hours to
prevent dry skin.
Arrive early! In some airports, the
security lines can be a nightmare!
Make travel plans
with the other
students who are
on your program!
A long flight is
more fun with a
travel buddy.
Plus, navigating
customs, airport
security, and public transportation
at your destination
is less daunting if
there are at least
two of you. Two,
or three, heads
are better than
one!
It’ll be a long flight for some students—so be prepared!
Page 29
Travel Tips
… continued
Passing the time. Exercise throughout the flight to prevent the condition known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) caused by prolonged
immobility that could occur during
long journeys by air. When someone is sitting down for a long time
their blood tends to pool in their
lower leg veins causing swelling
and increasing the chance that the
blood will clot. While the condition
is rare and risk to you is small, do
some basic stretches in your seat
and walk the length of the plane
when possible. The longer the
flight, the more you should make
an effort to move about.
Buy a new book, get the latest
issue of your favorite magazine,
or better yet, read literature
about your host country. This is
the best time to read that travel
guide you just purchased. Another distraction is the onboard movie. Even if it isn’t a great cine-
matic gem, it will pass two hours
or more in no time.
If at all possible, try to nap for a
couple of hours. You will feel
more refreshed on arrival if you
can sleep. You may want to buy
an inflatable travel pillow that
hooks around the neck. An eye
mask will also help block out the
sun or cabin lights. Do not bring
a cumbersome pillow from
home!
There are no signposts in
the sky to show a man
has passed that way
before. There are no
channels marked. The
flier breaks each second
into new uncharted seas.
- Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Arrival Strategies: How to hit your stride A.S.A.P.
The Host University / program organizer
should have provided arrival information in the
acceptance materials sent to you. Know what
you need to do so you can swing into action
after passing Customs and Immigration at
your terminal destination.
Yes, you have come a long way, but resist the
urge to spend the rest of the day napping.
Instead, try to get into the swing of things immediately! Get out and get as much sun expo-
sure as you can. Exposure to sunlight
helps your body adjust to the new time
zone in your host country. Take a walk.
Investigate your new surroundings and
discover where some crucial places are.
Introduce yourself to other students. Go to
bed at the normal time, or try to stay up
until at least 8:00 p.m. You will wake up
the next day feeling refreshed and ready to
go!
How not to pack! This student may have a
cart now-but what happens after she exits
the airport and has to take a train to her
residence hall?
Arrival Scenarios: Have Plans B...C...D...
The first day at the host country is
very important and we would like
you to get off to a good start.
Thus, make sure you know the
following:
 What to expect at the airport
(layout, immigration and customs procedure, location of
ATMs, ground transportation,
etc.)
 Directions to your apartment,
residence hall, program office,
or the university’s study
abroad office
 What form of transportation to
take and where to get it
 Who to contact or where to go
in case of emergency
 How to say a few key expres-
sions and questions in the host
country’s language
 Contingency plans in case Plan
A goes awry
Have a plan in place in case your
flight is delayed and you don’t arrive at your destination until very
late at night.
Family members and friends may
ask you to call home immediately
after arrival. Their concern is understandable, but please be aware
that it may not be always possible
to have access to a phone or computer immediately after arrival.
You may need to catch an airport
shuttle immediately after retrieving
your luggage and going through
Customs and Immigration. Other
times, you may have to board a
program bus, go through formalities, and into your accommodations where you may become preoccupied meeting other students,
or are not immediately in a position to make special arrangements
to call home. Or, you may be arriving late at night or after having
traveled for a day to reach your
destination are too exhausted to
even think about calling home.
Ask your family to give you at least
a day to call and to not panic if
they don’t hear from you immediately.
If possible, plan to arrive
at your destination on a
weekday and during office
hours. If you need assistance, there is a greater
likelihood you will reach
someone at your host university or program office.
Page 30
Travel Tips
Vacation Travel During Weekends and School Holidays
Studying abroad gives you
many opportunities to
travel. Your program will
have sufficient breaks to
enable you to visit neighboring countries or travel
all over your host country.
Mode of Transportation.
By train. In Europe, traveling by train is the best way
to travel. Unfortunately,
Americans who are accustomed to relying on cars and planes and
leery of Amtrak’s troubled long-distance
networks here remain reluctant rail travelers, even abroad. Reportedly, only 10
percent of US visitors to Europe take a
train. What a shame! Traveling by train
is so much fun! In most countries, trains
are punctual, clean, comfortable, inexpensive, and they go nearly everywhere.
Trains also travel directly between city
centers and sometimes could actually be
faster than going by air. Eurostar, for
instance, has a high-speed Chunnel rail
route which links London, Paris, and
Brussels. In Spain, the AVE can travel
between Madrid and Seville in two hours.
To check out fares and schedules, log on
to: http://www.raileurope.com.
A caveat Rail passes are convenient but
weigh the pros and cons before investing
in one. A rail pass does give you the
freedom to roam as you wish without
having to spend time at the ticket window. On the other hand, these passes
are not cheap and you have to use them
within a specific time frame. Determine
the kind of traveling that you will do to
determine if getting a rail pass makes
sense. A rail pass only makes sense if
you will be doing several long trips within
a brief time window. You may find that
purchasing round-trip tickets for individual trips is a better option especially if you
will only travel on weekends during your
time abroad. If you do purchase a rail
pass, consider the policy on what will
happen if it is lost or
stolen. Many vacations
have been ruined because of a lost railpass.
By coach. If time is not
an issue, consider taking coach (bus) trips
especially if the distance between cities is
not that great, or if the
difference between
taking a train and taking the coach is only an hour or so. Traveling by bus is even cheaper than taking the
train. In some countries, like Ireland,
Spain, Australia and New Zealand, traveling
by bus is the way to go as the bus system is
more extensive than the train system.
Remember though to compare the money
you will be saving and the state you will be
in when you arrive at your destination. If
you arrive exhausted and have saved less
than fifty dollars, take the more expensive
but faster route to get to your destination.
By air. As enjoyable as it is to travel by
train or bus, it does take time. If you are
traveling between countries or between
distant cities (i.e., London and Glasgow in
the U.K.), consider air travel. Flying saves
time, especially if you only have a long
weekend to complete your trip. Commercial air travel is becoming more common
for travel between countries because several low-cost airlines like EasyJet, Ryanair,
Tiger, and AirAsia are gaining ground. In
Europe, check out fares offered by Ryanair
(www.ryanair.com)
and
easyJet
(www.easyjet.com). You can also book internal
flights
in
Europe
at
www.airninja.com, www.openjet.com, or
www.vueling.com/.
These websites sort through fares on seven
of the eight major low-cost carriers. There
are also student charters to numerous
destinations (especially at break times) at
bargain prices. Visit travel agencies at your
host city to learn about available student
deals. You can also sign up to be on the mailing list of airlines so you can get announcements for special deals. Deals sometimes
pop up only for an hour - if you find tickets for
5 euro they won't be there for very long so
buy them and find someone to go with you
later.
By (rental) car. Another option for travel is to
rent a car, but keep in mind that unless several of you are sharing the car, renting can be
expensive and gasoline in many countries
costs more than in the U.S. Parking could be
a nightmare too. If you need to rent a car for
more than 4 days, it’s usually cheaper to rent
for the entire week. It is also not enough to
get a rate quote since that bears little resemblance to your final bill. To avoid being hit by
surprise charges, quiz the reservation agent
about every conceivable add-ons: taxes, surcharge, mandatory insurance, fees for additional drivers, mileage, and others. Finally,
always inspect a car before you drive it away
from the rental lot. When you return it, ask a
manager to look over the vehicle and to note
on the receipt that it is in satisfactory condition.
If you think you may do some driving while
abroad, look into age and insurance requirements and the appropriate documents you
need to be permitted to drive. Also acquaint
yourself with that country’s traffic rules and
regulations. Unlike in the United States
where driving is deemed a God-given right,
driving is considered a privilege in many
countries abroad so the minimum skill level
that drivers are expected to possess is much
higher than the level expected of a US driver.
Driving violations are also punished more
severely in many countries than here. Before
you drive, make sure you can meet that country’s expectations of what it takes to get behind the wheel of a vehicle.
Accommodations. OK, so you can get from
Point A to B. Where will you stay? Are you OK
with cheap but no-frills accommodations, or
can you afford to pay more for slightly more
luxurious digs? Students usually consider
cost first so staying at a youth hostel is a way
Page 31
Travel Tips
… continued School Vacation and Weekend Travel
to be frugal. Hostels provide clean, inexpensive, albeit spartan accommodations in
many places around the world. Information
may be obtained from www.hostels.com or
www.hostelworld.com. The travel guide Let’s
Go, written by students for students and in
existence for the last 50 years, lists inexpensive but well-run establishments in its accommodations section. You can also try
living with locals who open their home to
travels on such websites like Air B&B or Couch Surfing. In
many cases, you will stay in an extra room in the house apartment. Sometimes, all you will have is a couch or mattress.
Use your judgment when it comes to accommodations. If you
value privacy and it will only take a few dollars more to book a
room in a budget hotel, then don’t even bother with youth hostels. On the other hand, if you want to meet other young travelers and backpackers, don’t mind staying in dorm-type accommodations, and really want to save money, then youth hostels
are a very good option. If you want to meet friendly locals who
are often willing to introduce you to the local culture, the home
sharing option might be ideal for you. Be sure to check website reviews however especially if you are traveling by yourself.
Destinations. Sure, see the great sights — Eiffel Tower, Big
Ben, Venetian Grand Canal, Parthenon, Pantheon — but try to
be more adventurous and travel to up-and-coming destinations
like Budapest (Hungary), Tallinn (Estonia), Dubrovnik (Croatia)
Ljubljana (Slovenia), Angkor Wat (Cambodia), or Koh Phangan
(Thailand). These places are cheaper, less crowded, friendlier,
and you’ll be able to brag about being there before the place
becomes overrun with tourists in a few years.
Foreign Travel Etiquette. Read up on your destination and
know the host country’s customs, especially on how to be a
polite visitor. Be aware of nonverbal communication and gestures that might be considered rude in the local culture. When
traveling in countries where English is not the first language,
learn how to say five expressions in the local tongue: hello,
goodbye, thank you, please, and pardon me. It’s amazing how
far these words will get you when spoken in a person’s language, even if he or she knows the English equivalent.
Asking for Directions. Ask more than one person for directions. In certain cultures, particularly Asia, it is impolite for
locals to say “I don’t know.” It can be a cause of embarrassment to a local if he or she can’t give you an answer. So the
end result is this person saying something, anything, even if it
isn’t correct. Many cities and towns, particularly in Europe
have a Visitor Information Center. If you are studying abroad in
Europe, make this your first stop for maps, information about
the city and recommendations for places to
see, eat, or stay.
Shopping Savvy. Buy items that the area or
city is noted for. In Oaxaca, Mexico, purchase
handmade pottery; in Hong Kong, buy custom
-tailored clothing; in Florence, bargain for
leather goods. Compare prices in several
locations and avoid shops near train stations
and heavy tourist areas.
Waterborne bugs on tap. There’s no end to the trouble that a little
dirty water can cause you. You don’t always have to buy water bottled, but be cautious. Check the bottle cap to see that it hasn’t been
opened at all. And reconsider that request for ice – ice from bad
water can carry bacteria too. Steamed vegetables are safer than raw
veggies and salads.
Attend to your health needs. If you plan to do much traveling and you
have a chronic condition, make sure you bring your medication and
other necessary accoutrements. You do not want to have an emergency in a strange place. Be mindful also of the environment of
where you are going. For example, American students with allergies
or asthma sometimes find that even if they are able to easily control
their condition with medication in the U.S., they are not always able to
do so in Asian cities like Beijing (severe pollution) or Singapore (high
humidity).
Page 32
Travel Tips
Ten Commandments of Travel

Thou shalt not expect to find things as thou hast at home, for thou hast left home to find things different.

Thou shalt not take anything too seriously, for a carefree mind is the start of a good trip.

Thou shalt not let the other travellers get on thy nerves, for thou hast paid good money to enjoy thyself.

Remember to take half as many clothes as thou thinkest and twice the money.

Knoweth at all times where thy passport is, for a person without a passport is a a person without a country.

Remember that if we had been expected to stay in one place we would have been created with roots.

Thou shalt not worry, for he or she that worrieth hath no pleasure and few things are THAT fatal.

When in Rome be prepared to do somewhat as the Romans do.

Thou shalt not judge the people of the country by the person who hath given thee trouble.

Remember thou are a guest in other lands, and the one who treats a host with respect shall be honoured.
Health and Safety
Revised Edition
Health and Safety
Your Safety is our Concern
Always be mindful of the
laws of your host country. If
you run into legal trouble,
there is nothing the United
States government can do
except provide a lawyer and
check on your well-being.
When the Chinese use the expression “May
you live in interesting times,” they mean it
as a curse. As evident from current events,
we are indeed living in interesting times.
While the Study Abroad Office believes that
students are in no more danger by studying
abroad than by staying in the United
States, we take safety concerns very seriously.
lute safety of each study abroad participant or ensure that risk will not at times
be greater than at home. Similarly, we
also cannot monitor the daily personal
decisions, choices, and activities of individual participants any more than is the
case on the home campus. We can only
hope that you will use common sense
when going about your daily life abroad.
You can be assured that the social and
political climate in the area in which you
will be traveling is conducive to studying.
Our approach to safety includes careful
monitoring of U.S. Department of State
travel warnings and advisories, regular
consultations with colleagues around the
country who are involved in the administration of study abroad programs, with onsite
resident program directors, with responsible officials of foreign host universities,
with contacts in the U.S. Department of
State and other agencies, and with other
experts who are well informed on international issues and events. We have also
implemented an emergency preparedness
and crisis response plan for our overseas
programs by providing key individuals (onsite faculty and host institution administrators) with guidelines to follow under a variety of circumstances. The response plan
calls for working with overseas contacts as
well as Programs for Study Abroad, the
Dean of International Programs, the Dean
of Students' Office, and ultimately the Provost and President of Purdue University. For
more information concerning your safety
and health, please see the Health and
Safety page on our website.
To offset safety concerns, we encourage
you to go through the safety tips listed in
this study abroad handbook and discuss
them with your family, study abroad advisor, and program leader on arrival at
your overseas site.
We cannot, however, guarantee the abso-
What this section
is about:
Attending to one’s
safety and health
and well-being
will ensure that
illness or mishaps
will not negatively
impact one’s enjoyment of the
study abroad experience.
This section offers suggestions for
how you can stay healthy and safe
while overseas, and what to keep
an eye out for when you’re up and
about to stay out of harm’s way.
Page 33
Page 34
Health and Safety
Insurance Coverage
The medical insurance that covers your family is not
always valid outside the United States. U.S. Medicare and Medicaid programs also do not cover
medical services outside this country. Purdue
University has therefore mandated that all study
abroad participants have insurance coverage.
What is the Purdue Study Abroad Insurance?
The Purdue insurance is provided by Gallagher
Insurance and underwritten by Combined Insurance
Company of America. The coverage is designed for
Purdue University study abroad participants and
provides a comprehensive package of medical
benefits and emergency services specifically addressing the risks associated with study abroad.
The coverage is primary.
How do students get the insurance? Students
on exchange, Purdue-administered, some cosponsored, and direct enroll programs will be included in the Gallagher group policy coverage for
Purdue University. Students do not need to file an
application or complete an enrollment form — the
Study Abroad Office will do all the necessary paperwork.
Coverage duration varies by program location and
term, but will generally start a day or two before the
official program date and terminate within a week of
the program’s conclusion. The 32-day premium
rate is approximately $35 and the charge for a
semester or summer’s worth of premiums will be
included in the Purdue Bursar invoice you will re-
ceive before the start of your overseas study term.
How does the insurance work? The Gallagher
insurance is set up for Purdue University. Study
Abroad students who are under its blanket coverage file claims directly with the insurance claims
administrator. For routine medical services while
overseas, students are expected to pay the physician, clinic, or hospital directly and then file
a claim with Health Smart Benefits Solutions later.
Doctors and hospitals overseas often expect
immediate cash payments for medical services.
Fortunately, health services in many parts of the
world are not as exorbitant as they are in the
United States, so paying for services directly
should not present undue hardship. Be sure to
save the physician or clinic invoice for filing an
itemized claim at a later date. If you will require
more serious or extensive medical services,
please contact Gallagher’s Travel Assistance
Program provider at the number given below. The
company will work with your family and the overseas medical facility on your behalf.
We are aware that some countries (ex: Italy, Singapore France, Japan, Australia) require the purchase of country insurance in order to secure an
international student visa. In this case, you will
still need the Purdue insurance, even if you have
already purchased the host country’s insurance.
Coverage for travel outside the host country or
benefits for medical evacuation or repatriation are
not provided by country insurance.
Purdue's insurance only covers health and medical matters. Coverage will not cover theft or loss
of valuables. We ask students not to bring valuable
items overseas, but if you do, it’s up to you to purchase insurance for your computer and other expensive gadgets. You might also want to check if
your family’s homeowners insurance extends to loss
of property while overseas.
Personal liability insurance is coverage to protect
yourself against claims alleging your negligence or
inappropriate action resulted in bodily injury or property damage to another person.
Your home family insurance most likely has a personal liability clause. Typically, umbrella liability
coverage extends to a policyholder's spouse, children and any relatives living in the household, under
the policyholder's care or under the care of a relative living with the policyholder. BUT – make sure
to ask your insurance company if you will be covered as a study abroad student.
If your home insurance’s umbrella coverage includes you while studying abroad, bring a statement
from your family insurance that you are covered by
a liability insurance. If not, then ask if you can get
special coverage while you are overseas.
Is this insurance ever waived? No, unless you
are participating in a co-sponsored program like
IES, CIEE, UMN, DIS and other programs in which
the program fee includes insurance.
Contact Information—Purdue International Health Insurance Program
On the web: https://www.gallagherkoster.com/students/ (choose “Purdue University - International Travel)
Purdue Plan Brochure: https://www.gallagherstudent.com/faqs/2046.pdf
Questions about coverage, accessing benefits or enrollment concerns:
Gallagher Koster 500 Victory Road, Quincy MA 02171
Phone: 617 769 6056 or toll-free at 877 240 8766
Email: Purdue@Gallagherstudent.com
Questions about a specific claim or claims payment:
Health Special Risk, Inc. , HSR Plaza II
4100 Medical Parkway, Carrollton, Texas 75007
purdueclaims@hsri.com
1-866-345-0973
There are many incidents that are EXCLUDED from coverage within the
Gallagher Master Policy (Section XI, #7, Page 27). Such activities for which
students will NOT be covered are illness, accident, treatment or medical
condition arising out of hang-gliding, skydiving, glider flying, parasailing,
sail planing, bungee jumping, racing or speed contests, skin diving, parachuting or bungi-cord jumping. Read the Master Policy for details here.
For emergencies, medical referrals, evacuation, repatriation
or other services:
ACE Travel Assistance Program
1 855 327 1414 (Toll-free)
1 630 694 9764 (Direct Dial)
medassist-usa@axa-assistance.us
www.acetravelassistance.net (register your name using username medasist-usa@axa-assistance.us and PW acea&h)
Page 35
Health and Safety
Emergencies Abroad
In an emergency, always
contact the authorities
and study abroad staff at
your overseas site first!
Do not call your family or
the Study Abroad Office
and expect us to come to your aid! We are
thousands of miles away – we cannot do
anything to recover your stolen money, bring
you to the hospital, or contact the local authorities.
Instead, be prepared for emergencies and
plan ahead on how you will handle them.
Have your local emergency contact information handy at all times, especially the
country’s emergency number (the equivalent
of our 911). The local police and overseas
staff will be in a much better position to
come to your assistance.
Once the furor has died down and the matter has been attended to, then contact your
family and if necessary, Purdue University.
You can contact the Study Abroad Office.
Non-emergency calls may be made to the
Study Abroad Office at 1+765-494-2383
during normal working hours, 8am – 5pm
Eastern Standard Time.
If the emergency occurs during off-hours
and you need to reach the Study Abroad
staff, please contact the Purdue University
Police Department at 1+765-494-8221.
This number is active seven days a week,
24 hours a day. If the police department
determines that the call requires the attention of Purdue personnel, Study Abroad
staff members will be contacted. This number should be used for emergencies only,
such as serious accidents or illnesses.
We strongly recommend doing some contingency planning before you leave your home.
Should a family emergency occur, decide
now what steps should be taken. If you
have to return home, who do you need to
notify onsite? If the matter does not require
your immediate departure, consider ways to
lend emotional support while you remain
overseas. Who will relay information about
the emergency to the extended family?
Your parents might also consider getting a
passport in case they have to attend to you
in an emergency.
At the end of this section is a worksheet for
a Personal Emergency Action Plan (PEAP).
It would be a good idea to complete that
worksheet with your family so everyone is
briefed on the procedure for dealing with
emergencies that may happen at your over-
seas site..
The telephone number 112 is the international emergency telephone number for
GSM mobile phone networks. In all European Union countries it is also the emergency
telephone number for both mobile and fixed
-line telephones. The GSM mobile phone
standard includes 112 as an emergency
number, and in countries where 112 is not
the standard emergency telephone number,
GSM telephone users who make calls to
112 generally have their calls redirected to
the local emergency telephone number, if it
exists. This is valuable for foreign travelers,
who may not know the local emergency
number. Most GSM mobile phones can dial
112 calls even when the phone keyboard is
locked, the phone is without a SIM card, or
instead of the PIN. Using 112 instead of
another emergency number on a GSM
phone may be advantageous, since 112 is
recognized by all GSM phones as an emergency number. A phone dialing a different
emergency service's number may refuse to
roam onto another network, leading to trouble if there is no access to the home network. Dialing 112 forces the phone to make
the call on any network possible.
Students With Special Needs
An effort will be made by
the Study Abroad Office
and the Office of Disability Resource Services to
reasonably accommodate students with special needs
while abroad.
Before going abroad, students
who require some kind of accommodations (wheelchair access, extra test time, assistive
listening devices, note-taker,
and others) should contact their
Study Abroad advisor or the appropriate Study Abroad assistant
director, or a Program Specialist
in the Disability Resource Center
(within the office of the
Dean of Students) to
discuss what accommodations may be
needed while abroad.
http://www.purdue.edu/odos/drc/
Special needs may include disabilities (physical or learning), significant medical conditions, temporary disabilities (i.e., broken
arm in a cast) or other conditions
that may impact an overseas
experience. The accommodation
may include simply bringing a
helpful gadget to help the student. More frequently, the Study
Abroad Office may have to coordinate efforts with the host
institution. Many institutions
overseas are equipped to accommodate students with special needs. In cases where the
host institution could not do so,
the Purdue DRC is willing to
step in if resources are available. If the student could not get
the assistance he or she requires despite the DRC’s best
efforts, the student may have to
choose a program that could.
NOTE: If you have
special needs, let the
Study Abroad Office
know as early as possible so that we will have
time to work out matters
with the overseas partner. We may have to
come up with a contingency if the host institution will not have the
means to assist you.
Page 36
Health and Safety
Staying Healthy: Taking Care of Yourself!
We are sure you want to
remain hale and hearty
while overseas. To be ill in
another country, where
Mom’s chicken soup won’t
come to the rescue, is not
going to be fun.
Of more importance, if you
are in the pink of health, you could maintain a sunny
disposition and would be able to consistently regard
your overseas experience in a more positive light. You
are likely to be energetic, optimistic, and happy, rarely
troubled by fatigue, stress, or apprehension.
Taking care of yourself starts by eating right, exercising,
getting plenty of rest, and keeping drug and alcohol
use to a minimum – regardless of the host country’s
laws. So plan to live a healthy lifestyle while you are
abroad. Eat nutritious food while abroad to keep up
your energy and help boost your immune system. If you
have any dietary restrictions, learn how to describe
them in the local language.
If you have a recurring or chronic medical condition,
do your research and determine the local term for
your condition and how it is typically treated in your
host country. Get set-up with a local physician before departure or as soon as you arrive. Bring a
copy of your medical records, translated into the
local language if possible. In the event you suffer a
relapse or an attack, the local medical staff would
know how to deal with your condition.
Studying abroad will drastically change your daily
routine. As a result, your physical or mental health
can be affected. You may experience jet lag, culture
shock, emotional reactions to changes in diet or
lack of exercise, homesickness or loneliness. Prepare yourself for the potential of these emotions
and determine how best to handle them if they do
arise. See also the information on Culture Shock in
the “A Successful Study Abroad Experience” section
of this handbook.
An apple a day keeps
the doctor away!
In the excitement of
trying new things and
seeing new places,
you might neglect the
healthy lifestyle you
practiced at home.
Try not to tax yourself
too much, take the
time to stop and smell
the roses, and to leave
time for quiet reflection.
To fully appreciate the
study abroad experience, you need time to
absorb and ponder on
your new experiences.
Common Causes of Ailments
The most common health
problems for newcomers
abroad are related to the
different bacteria found in
food and drinking water,
often leading to short-term
diarrhea and digestive problems. Infections from insect
bites, small cuts, and wounds are also
quite common. It is best to treat such
small injuries with much more care than
you would at home.
Another health risk for newcomers comes
from a number of diseases we are unfamiliar with in developed countries with
temperate climates.
Many of these are insect-borne (and sometimes borne by other
animals) and often
occur in urban areas
with poor sanitation
and poor public health
services. Your best tool of prevention is
information. Learn about how to avoid
exposing yourself to animal-borne diseases. Epidemics are often brought on by
favorable weather conditions, such as
frequent rain, which provides ample
breeding grounds for mosquitoes. You will
find the locals to be highly informed about
insect-borne diseases. Their advice will be extremely valuable.
When abroad, consider food safe to eat if it is
served steaming hot and is thoroughly cooked
(not cooked, cooled, and moderately reheated).
Other things considered safe include that which
you can peel (oranges, avocados, etc.); processed beverages which you pop open (bottled
water, carbonated soda, beer, etc.); piping hot
coffee and tea. Exercise your judgment on other
foods: those sitting at room temperature, and/
or uncovered foods requiring refrigeration, or
foods sitting out in the open sun (such as items
in an open air market ).
Open air food stalls in Asia are very popular with locals and tourists alike. Yes, the food will look delectable (if not strange
at times). Fortunately, they should be safe to eat if you follow simple guidelines. Eat only food that appear to have been
thoroughly cooked in an open flame. Go to the stalls where there is a line; there is high turn-over and food does not sit
out too long. Choose food you can eat on a stick—avoid silverware and plates. Drink bottled water, no matter how refreshing the juices might look. Avoid ice in your drinks. Barbecued scorpions and chicken feet, anyone?
Page 37
Health and Safety
Physical Exams and Immunizations
We recommend you have a dental, eye,
and physical checkup before going
abroad, particularly if you will be studying
for a semester or an academic year. The
first few weeks overseas are stressful
enough without you having to deal with an
ailment or illness. So make sure you are
in tip-top shape. Ask your physician for
recommendations to pack in your emergency medical kit and if he or she may be
inclined to pack you off with emergency
antibiotics like Cipro or a Z-pack before
you go, particularly if your destination is a
developing country.
for your visa, this may be
done by your healthcare
provider or at PUSH for a
fee.
The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
(CDC) advises travelers of any required or
recommended immunizations for the countries they will visit.
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx
If you wear glasses or contact lenses, take
the lens prescription with you as well as an
extra pair of glasses or lenses. The same
If a physical and X-ray exams are required
contact lens solution you use is
probably going to be available overseas so you do not need to bring a
large supply with you. However, you
have to be prepared for the possibility that the cost may be quite prohibitive or the brand is not available
in the country where you are studying so you
should take a good supply with you until you
know the situation.
Immunizations are available at PUSH or your
local health clinic for a fee. Appointments
should be made at least two months before
departure.
Prescription Medication and Others
If you take prescription medication,
consult your physician and insurance company about bringing a year
or semester’s supply with you. This
is the most convenient measure
since the medication you are taking
may not be readily available abroad, or the
overseas pharmacy may insist that it can
only fill a prescription issued by a local
doctor.
Bring with you any necessary medications
and keep them in their original, labeled
containers in your carry-on luggage, not in
your check-in bags. Because of strict laws
on narcotics in most countries, it is advised
that you carry a letter from your physician
explaining your need for any prescription
drugs in your possession. It is also advisa-
ble to carry a readable (preferably
typewritten) copy of the prescription.
If possible, ask the physician to
write a prescription for the generic
name of the drug, not the brand
name.
For example, Prilosec
(generic name: omeprazole) is known as
Losec in the U.K.
Walgreens will write prescriptions in 14
different languages.
http://www.walgreens.com/pharmacy/services/
Since it may be illegal to bring in large
quantities of medication into a country,
you may have to declare prescription medication on your customs form. This medication is for personal use, is essential to
your health and well-being, and not intended
to be sold or shared with other people, so
bring a physician’s letter with you.
If you have a serious ailment, consider bringing your medical record with you. This way,
an overseas physician will know how to care
for you in the event you become too incapacitated to talk.
If you take over the counter (OTC) medications with you, be sure to keep them in their
original containers with the contents clearly
marked.
High import duties are often
charged on any prescription drug or pharmacy item mailed into most countries, so do
not plan to have medicines shipped to you.
If you will be sexually active ...
We find that students who study abroad
are often emboldened by the experience.
Every victory — traveling to another city
speaking only the native language, doing
well in a challenging academic system,
foiling a pick-pocketing attempt, scoring a
fabulous bargain after 30 minutes of haggling — increases their self-confidence
and encourages them to venture farther
away from their comfort zone. Sometimes this leads to a desire for intimacy
with the opposite sex from that country. If
you are going to be sexually active when
you are overseas, or think you could be,
please be prepared and exercise the
same amount of caution as you would
when you’re at Purdue. Know who you
are going to be with. Be safe. Restrain
yourself from imbibing too much
alcohol or you could get yourself
caught in a potentially compromising
or harmful situation. Protect yourself
from STDs or unplanned pregnancies
by packing contraceptives or prophylactics in your emergency medical kit
or purchasing them onsite.
Come back home
with lovely souvenirs — photographs
and fond memories — from your
study abroad term
and not an STD.
Page 38
Health and Safety
Alcohol
Cultures view alcohol and consuming alcohol in differing
ways. Depending upon the
culture in question, alcohol
may be seen as a complement
to a meal, a privileged drink,
an element of a sacred rite, a
socially-acceptable way of unwinding, or in
various other ways or combinations.
The legal drinking age abroad is frequently
lower than it is in the United States. Nevertheless, while the drinking age may be lower, the drinking laws more lenient (i.e., no
open container laws), or the cost of alcohol
cheaper in your host country than in the
U.S., it is important to remember the risks
involved. Even in countries where social
drinking is the norm on a daily basis, it is
never safe or acceptable to “binge” drink.
In some countries, people who become
drunk are considered uncouth and are
looked upon with disdain. Please do not give
other American students a bad name be-
cause of your raucous behavior.
Of more importance, remember
that your inhibitions and defenses are down when you have
been drinking. Alcohol belongs
to that class of drugs known as
sedatives, which can impair judgment and
cause a loss of inhibition, judgment and fine
motor control skills even in small doses.
This could lead to you to perform some acts
that would be considered absolutely mortifying had you been sober. Finally, don’t forget
that you are representing Purdue while you
are abroad. We certainly hope that all students we send abroad will do the university
proud. In all matters concerning alcohol,
please keep in mind the following points:

You do not have to drink. Period. If
people compel you to do so in the
name of camaraderie and regard you
with contempt when you don’t imbibe,
you are in the wrong crowd.

It is culturally appropriate to decline
the offer of an alcoholic beverage,
particularly if you do so in a gracious
manner. You should never feel culturally pressured to do anything that
makes you feel uncomfortable. Have a
coke or sparkling water instead.

If you do choose to consume alcohol,
please consume it responsibly and
safely.

You do not have to drink like there’s no
tomorrow because there will be. You
are legal so you can go to the bars or
purchase alcohol legally.

Do not drink and drive – the laws governing drunk driving in many foreign
countries are far, far harsher than the
mere “slap on the wrist” DUI laws in
the United States.
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment can be
defined as any
unwanted
sexual advances from anyone with power over any aspect of your stay overseas,
including your living arrangements and your
educational or work environment. Sometimes it is difficult to evaluate whether or not
you are being harassed or if it is a matter of
cultural differences. For example, Americans sometimes react with discomfort to the
normal conversational distance between
people in a particular country, and you
should be aware of your own feeling within
that context. Female students who studied
in Spain, Italy, and Latin American countries
have also reported receiving catcalls from
males in the streets (priopos). While they
are, for the most part, harmless and should
be regarded as a demonstration of appreciation from supposed red-hot male lovers,
they can be disconcerting to the uninitiated.
However, no one, male or female,
studying abroad should have to suffer from
unwelcome sexual pressure.
Should you be the object of unwanted overt
sexual advances, say “NO!” firmly. Should
the situation persist, inform the appropriate officials, university or onsite program
staff, and contact Purdue’s Study Abroad
Office. If the situation involves a homestay,
immediately request a change of families.
Even if you think that you have handled a
homestay problem adequately on your own,
please tell us about it.
We do not want to suggest that sexual harassment is the norm in homestay arrangements, for it is not. You should not inter-
pret every offer of shared activity in the negative, but rather accept most invitations as a
show of hospitality and an effort to acquaint
you with a new culture.
However, if you find that you are the target
of what are clearly repeated sexual advances, then you should go to the appropriate
person to report it. If a student experiences
any form of harassment she/he should contact the Office of Programs for Study Abroad.
Page 39
Health and Safety
Illegal Drugs and Crime
Each year 2,500
Americans
are
arrested overseas.
One third of the
arrests are on drug
-related charges.
Many of those
arrested assumed
mistakenly that as
U.S. citizens, they
could not be arrested. From Asia to Africa, Europe to South
America, U.S. citizens are finding out the
hard way that drug possession or trafficking equals jail in foreign countries. If you
choose to use illegal drugs abroad, there is
very little that anyone can do to help you if
you are caught. You are operating under
the laws of the host country and the regulations of the local institution. Neither the
U.S. government nor Purdue University will
be able to secure your release should you
be detained/arrested.
It is your responsibility to know the drug
laws of a foreign country before you go,
because "I didn't know it was illegal" will
not get you out of jail. Some laws may be
applied more strictly to foreigners than to
local citizens. Don’t assume that just because local people are using drugs, it’s
acceptable for you to use them.
U.S. citizens have been arrested abroad on
drug charges for possession of an ounce or
less of marijuana. The risk of being put in
jail for one marijuana cigarette, or for other
illegal substances, is not worth it. If you're
arrested for violating a country’s drug laws,
the American consular officer CANNOT get
you out! You may say "it couldn't happen to
me" but the fact is that it could happen to
you if you find yourself saying one of the
following:
"I am an American citizen and no foreign
government can put me in their jail."
"If I only buy or carry a small amount, it
won't be a problem."
If you are arrested on a drug charge it is
important that you know what your government CAN and CANNOT do for you.
 The burden of proof in many countries is
The U.S. Consular Office CAN:
 In some countries, evidence obtained
 visit you in jail after being notified of
your arrest
on the accused to prove his/her innocence.
illegally by local authorities may be admissible in court.
 give you a list of local attorneys (The
 Few countries offer drug offenders jury
U.S. Government cannot assume responsibility for the professional ability or
integrity of these individual or recommend a particular attorney.)
trials or even require the prisoner's presence at his/her trial.
 notify your family and/or friends and
relay requests for money or other aid but only with your authorization
 intercede with local authorities to make
sure that your rights under local laws
are fully observed and that you are treated humanely, according to internationally accepted standards. Protest mistreatment or abuse to the appropriate authorities
The U.S. Consular Office CANNOT:
 demand your immediate release or get
you out of jail or the country
 represent you at trial or give legal coun-
 Many countries have mandatory prison
sentences of seven years to life without
the possibility of parole for drug violations.
 Prisoners in many countries may no be
treated well. The experience could very
well be a mental, emotional and physical
ordeal for a prisoner.
 The police and customs officials have a
right to search your luggage for drugs. If
they find drugs in your suitcase, YOU will
suffer the consequences.
 You could go to jail for years with no possibility of parole, early release, or transfer
back to the United States.
-Adapted from the U.S. Department of State's Travel Warning on Drugs Abroad
sel
 pay legal fees and/or fines with U.S.
government funds
You have been forewarned! Do not do anything stupid that could land you in the slammer!
And if that’s not enough to scare the living
daylights out of you . . .
Once you leave the United States U.S. laws
and constitutional rights do not cover you.
Instead, you will be subject to the laws of
your host country, or the country where you
are having legal trouble.
 Bail is not granted in many countries
when drugs are involved.
Don't make a jail
sentence part of
your study abroad
experience!
Page 40
Health and Safety
STAYING SAFE ABROAD
When you travel abroad, the odds are in your favor
that you will have a safe and incident-free trip. However, crimes do take place overseas, and you should
always be prepared for unexpected events. You will
probably be doing a lot more traveling than you
would normally do at home. This means, by definition, more public transportation such as trains, buses, metros, taxis and planes. Most provide convenient and inexpensive transportation for you as a student. However, there are
a number of safety issues you should keep in mind, especially in urban settings. "Better safe than sorry," goes the old
saying. As a foreign student, you can be an easy target
for thieves because you stand out in a crowd, are unused to the surroundings, and are generally perceived
to be carrying money, credit cards and valuables like
cameras. So be cautious but not fearful. You must
learn to walk the fine line between safety and paranoia! Exercise the same precautions that you would in any
U.S. city; in unfamiliar surroundings where you may not know
the real concerns. You can reduce your risk of being mugged
or robbed by taking a few simple precautions outlined below.
Safety in the Streets
 Use the same common sense traveling over-
 Make a note of emergency telephone
seas that you would at home. Be especially
cautious in or avoid areas where you are likely
to be victimized. These include crowded subways, train stations, elevators, tourist sites,
market places, festivals and marginal areas of
cities.
numbers you may need: police, fire, your
host family, the program’s resident director, and the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
 Don't use short cuts, narrow alleys or poorly lit
streets. Try not to travel alone at night.
 Use ATMs during the day, when there are people around. No
matter how safe it may seem, do not withdraw money from an
ATM located in a deserted area at night alone.
 Put your money in a money belt or neck pouch BUT … put
some money in your front pocket too! If you do get approached
by a mugger, surrender the money in your front pocket and
then plead poverty. Having easy access to money also will
prevent you from having to pull out your money belt in public.
 If you do need to get cash from your money belt – do it in pri-
vate. Never remove anything from a concealed money belt
while you are in public. Someone could be tracking your movements.
 Beware of pickpockets, especially in
train stations, churches, and town squares
where there are throngs of people. Always
keep your hands free. Always keep straps of shoulder bags
close to body. In restaurants and bars, loop straps around
chair or table legs. Motorbike snatchers in Italy have broken
a few tourists’ arms.
 If you are using a zip-on daypack while wearing your full-size
backpack, do not keep anything valuable in your daypack if it
is zipped onto the back. Thieves can easily remove your
daypack without you even noticing. Keep your valuables
inside your full-size backpack or put your daypack inside the
backpack if space permits.
 Wear the shoulder strap of your bag across your chest and
Do not discuss travel plans or other personal matters with
strangers.
walk with the bag away from the curb to avoid drive-by purse
-snatchers. Do not put your wallet in an outside pocket of
your backpack. If feeling particularly vulnerable, wear your
money belt somewhere other than around your waist.
Thieves know all about money belts too. Consider carrying a
'dummy' wallet holding a small amount of cash. If a mugger
directly confronts you, you can hand over the dummy wallet
and avoid further distress.
 Try to seem purposeful when you move about. Even if you are
 If you are confronted, don't fight back. Give up your valua-
 Avoid public demonstrations and other civil disturbances.
 Keep a low profile and avoid loud conversations or arguments.
lost, act as if you know where you are going. When possible,
ask directions only from individuals in authority.
bles. Your money and passport can be replaced, but you
cannot.
Page 41
Health and Safety
Safety During Weekend and Holiday Travels
 If possible, choose accommodation that has unmarked 'swipe
cards' rather than numbered keys for each room. If you lose
your swipe card or if it is stolen, a thief won't know which room
to rob.
 Keep your hotel door locked at all times. Do not leave money
and other valuables in your hotel room while you are out. Use
the hotel safe.
 Your money and passport should never leave your body if you
are staying at a hostel. When you sleep, wear your money belt
or slip it inside your sleep sack. When you shower, hang the
money belt or neck pouch IN the shower (slip in a plastic waterproof Ziploc bag).
 If you leave your luggage in the hostel, lock your bags and take
anything valuable with you.
 Let someone know when you expect to return if you are out
your gut feeling.
 Read the fire safety instructions in your
hotel room. Know how to report a fire.
Be sure you know where the nearest fire
exits and alternate exits are located.
Count the doors between your room and
the nearest exit. This could be a life
saver if you have to crawl through a
smoke-filled corridor.
 If you get lost, duck into a café, sit down,
and consult your map without looking like you are lost.
way, you avoid being a target for pickpockets.
This
 If you see your way being blocked by a stranger and another
person is very close to you from behind, move away. The people
may have intentions of robbing or assaulting you.
late at night.
 If you are alone, do not get on an elevator alone, or if there is a
person or people inside who look threatening to you. Follow
Safety while on Public or Private Transportation
 Only take taxis clearly identified with
 Thinking of using Uber? Don’t do it if you are by yourself! Uber
official markings. Beware of unmarked
cabs.
drivers are hardly monitored and a stranger in a strange land is
a tempting target.
 Know the safest way of securing taxis.
For example, in India, it is not safe to flag
a passing cab. It is better for the hotel to
call for a cab from a reputable firm. If you have to, make it
known that you are expected at your destination.
 If available, choose a car with universal door locks and power
 Where possible, lock your train compartment. If it cannot be
 Don't leave valuables in the car. If you must bring valuable
locked securely, take turns sleeping in shifts with your traveling
companions. If that is not possible, stay awake. If you must
sleep unprotected, tie down your luggage, strap your valuables
to you and sleep on top of them as much as possible.
items with you, keep them out of sight locked in the trunk.
Make sure you stow these things in the trunk in private. It
won’t do to do this in public and let people know there are
some desirable items in the trunk.
 Do not accept food or drink from strangers. Criminals have
 Don't get out of the car if there are suspicious looking individu-
been known to drug food or drink offered to passengers.
windows, features that give the driver better control of access
to the car. An air conditioner, when available, is also a safety
feature, allowing you to drive with windows closed. Thieves can
and do snatch purses through open windows of moving cars.
als nearby. Drive away.
 If you rent a car, don't go for the exotic; choose a type com-
 At the airport, watch for your suitcase as it appears on the car-
monly available locally. Where possible, ask that markings that
identify it as a rental car be removed. Make certain your rental
car is in good condition. You cannot afford to have the car
break down in a strange place.
ousel. Don't hang back and wait for the crowds to disperse you might find that someone else has already taken your bag
in the meantime.
Page 42
Health and Safety
Safety for Female Travelers
While all travelers should plan carefully to ensure their health and
safety, women have extra concerns.
 Don’t travel alone if at all possible! A woman traveling alone is
often an attractive target.
 Take a doorstop in your luggage and jam it under your closed
hotel room door.
 Avoid ground level hotel rooms. Concierge floors often offer
extra security.
 Keep a business card from your hotel in your purse, in case
you get lost.
 Don't leave your drink unattended in a restaurant or bar.
possible.
 Many countries have different ideas
about how women should dress
and behave. People will make assumptions about you based on
what you are wearing. If you're
traveling in segregated areas, such
as orthodox religious neighborhoods, take cues from the women
around you and try to blend in. Even if you don't agree with particular customs, it will make your trip more enjoyable if you respect local expectations. If you don't, you may have to endure
unpleasant attention.
 When registering, use only your last name and first initial, if
Beware of These Common Scams!
The odds of becoming a victim of a terrorist attack are
small (1 in 9.7 million). You stand a far better chance
of becoming a victim of a street crime. Increased
threat of terrorism has meant there’s more police presence in airports, train stations, bus terminals – but
fewer outside. Indeed, airport crime has gone down in
many places.
Street crime, on the other hand, is alive and well. The
good news is: violent crime is rare because guns are
banned in many countries of the world. The bad news
is: pick-pockets, particularly in Europe, are creative,
have guile, and are very, very skilled! They can lift your
wallet without you noticing until much, much later.
Here are a few scams to which you need to be alert:
 Splash or splat: one thief squirts, spills, or throws something
at you. An accomplice distracts you by helping to clean off,
causing enough of a commotion for a third to grab your belongings.
 Rigged ATM: a machine is rigged so that your card gets stuck
inside. A kind observer offers to help and gets close enough to
actually see you enter your pin or asks for your PIN to “fix” the
machine. Your card remains stuck and you give up. As soon
as you are out of sight, the thief extracts your card. The person
enters your PIN and withdraws a sizeable amount. If your card
gets stuck, enter false PIN 3 times. If ATM has not been tampered with, it will retain your card and you can notify the bank
later. If the machine has been rigged, scam artist won’t have
your correct PIN.
 Mock street fight: a group of boys make a show of
beating up each other. You become distracted. An accomplice snatches your bag or picks your pockets.
 Sympathy scam: a crying child approaches you for
money to go home. Ignore the kid! Many street kids
have been trained to be pickpockets. Keep your wallets
stashed away. Keep small bills in various pockets so
you never have to take out your wallet in public.
 Baby toss: a woman hands you a baby or tosses you
a doll with the intention of startling you so you drop your
bag. The accomplice snatches your bag and runs away.
 Whirlwind: a group of women and kids rush in, bus-
tling and fussing, and in all the commotion, someone
swipes your wallet without you noticing. If the people leave the
train or bus before it starts, someone, hopefully not you, may
have lost money already.
 Photo-op gone wrong: someone volunteers to take your photo
and then won’t return your camera until you’ve paid a ransom.
Yell “POLICE!” in the local language if this happens. Or make a
commotion.
 Pretend bump:
someone accidentally bumps into you, slaps
your derrierre, or may sidle up next to you. Beware! They are
probably interested in your wallet.
BOTTOMLINE: Be aware of your surroundings at all times. A distracted person makes for an easy shoplifting victim.
Page 43
Health and Safety
Purdue Policy on Safety and Security for Study Abroad
Purdue University is committed to developing a wide variety of
international study, research, and work opportunities for its students. At the same time we recognize that there are times and
places where personal security issues may outweigh the advantages of exposure to international experiences. We therefore
have developed a very careful and considered approach to the
safety of our students.
Purdue University:
a)
Cannot guarantee or assure the safety of participants or
eliminate all risks from the study abroad environments.
b)
Cannot monitor or control all of the daily personal decisions, choices, and activities of individual participants.
c)
Cannot prevent participants from engaging in illegal, dangerous, or unwise activities.
d)
Cannot assure that U.S. standards of due process apply in
overseas legal proceedings or provide or pay for legal representation for participants.
e)
Cannot assume responsibility for the actions of persons
not employed or otherwise engaged by Purdue, for events
that are not part of the program, or that are beyond the
control of Purdue and its subcontractors, or for situations
that may arise due to the failure of a participant to disclose pertinent information.
f)
Cannot assure that home-country cultural values and
norms will apply in the host country.
At a minimum the following always applies:
1)
2)
3)
Purdue University's Office of International Programs will not
send students to any country for which a U.S. Department of
State "travel warning" has been issued. Further, the Office of
International Programs will not send students to any region
of a country for which a U.S. Department of State "public
announcement" concerning security has been issued.
The Office of International Programs and Programs for Study
Abroad also reserve the right to cancel any program when we
believe that the security of our students may be threatened,
even if the United States Department of State has not yet
issued a travel warning or a public announcement.
The following information is provided to participants and their
parents regarding the range of aspects of participants’ overseas experiences that are beyond Purdue’s control.
http://www.studyabroad.purdue.edu/safety/saf_purdue_policy.cfm
The United States Department of State has developed a set of reports designed to inform travelers of potential risks.
Travel Warnings are issued when long-term, protracted conditions that make a country dangerous or unstable lead the
State Department to recommend that Americans avoid or consider the risk of travel to that country. A Travel Warning is
also issued when the U.S. Government's ability to assist American citizens is constrained due to the closure of an embassy or consulate or because of a drawdown of its staff.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html
Travel Alerts are issued to disseminate information about short-term conditions, either transnational or within a particular country, that pose significant risks to the security of U.S. citizens. Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, coups, anniversaries of terrorist events, election-related demonstrations or violence, and high-profile events such as international conferences or regional sports events are examples of conditions that might generate a Travel Alert.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1766.html
Consular Information Sheets are available for every country of the world. They include such information as location
of the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the subject country, unusual immigration practices, health conditions, minor political
disturbances, unusual currency and entry regulations, crime and security information, and drug penalties. If an unstable
condition exists in a country that is not severe enough to warrant a Travel Warning, a description of the condition(s) may
be included under an optional section entitled "Areas of Instability.”
A Successful Experience
Revised Edition
What this section is about:
You are studying abroad and
will be gone for several
weeks or months. Make your
time overseas as memorable
as you can make it. Take
advantage of the opportunities and challenges that
come your way. Do not pass
up the chance to learn about
the people and culture of your
host country. All the things
you gain now will come in
handy as you make your way
through life. As noted French
biologist Louis Pasteur asserted: “Chance favors only
the prepared mind.” Dumb
luck is rare. Good things are
more likely to happen if you
are receptive to change and
new ways of thinking and
doing.
A Successful
Experience
Carpe Diem! Seize the
day! After the first few
weeks abroad, many of
you are probably still
doing fine, but some
may already be reeling
from the very different
environment, or from
university protocol that’s
very different from how
we do things at Purdue.
But that’s OK! Yes, you will
feel homesick. Yes, there
will be many frustrating experiences. Yes, you might
decide that you are miserable. But look at how far
you’ve come! Think of all
the enriching, unique, exciting challenging moments
that you have already gone
through and you’re still
standing. From here on out,
things should get easier.
So take things one day at a
time. You do not need to get
everything done in a day.
Take your time. Be mindful of
the here and now. Before you
know it, the chips will fall into
place as you become more
familiar with how tasks and
activities are done at your
host country and university.
Sometimes, doing nothing —
for the time being — may
solve the problem. One thing
for sure — be open to doing
things in a different way.
Page 45
Welcome change. Be
open to other perspectives. See the world as
a psychedelic mix of
various colors rather
than one that is painted
in black and white only.
Appreciate your host
culture.
Be humble.
Hang on to your sense
of humor. Make it your goal
to return to the US with more
knowledge about the world
and some of the fascinating
people that inhabit it. Supercharge your study abroad
experience and enhance
your professional credentials. Come back as a person who can live and work
comfortably in a society that
is increasingly becoming very
multicultural. You’ll be glad
you did.
As you begin your daily life,
relish your new experiences.
Managing on Your Own
One thing that you will quickly
realize when you get to your
overseas site — especially if you
are on an exchange program —
the staff at Purdue are all very
helpful. Really! How many
times have you had a bad experience with an unhelpful,
grouchy, indifferent Purdue staff
member? Probably hardly ever.
So be prepared -- it could be
different at your overseas university where the university
staff’s responsibilities focus on
administrative responsibilities
and therefore do not consider it
their job to assist clueless students. Thus, you should not expect immediate assistance for
things like academic advising,
grade disputes, housing issues,
or directions for where and
whom to go for what. University
staff overseas will treat you as
an adult and a mature person
does not usually wring his or her
hands in despair if help is not
forthcoming. Learn to fend for
yourself and work on being more
independent. Make an effort to
figure out possible solutions to
problematic situations. Be resourceful. If you have to ask
university staff for instructions,
be prepared to do the task yourself. Talk to the local students
and ask what they do. You certainly do not want people to
regard you as a helpless American. Use this chance as an
opportunity to cultivate resilience and assertiveness.
You are on your own — get used
to it.
Page 46
A Successful Experience
But if Nothing Works … Ask for Help!
At the same time, while we encourage you
to be as self-sufficient as possible and to
avoid running to the International Programs
staff at the host university at the drop of a
hat, we also urge you to seek help if you
are unable to solve a problem by yourself.
You must recognize when you can't go at it
alone and seek the assistance of people
who can help.
thing like: "I beg your pardon, I was
wondering if you could …" or "I am
sorry for bothering you, but I …" And
once she received assistance, she
was always profuse in her thanks.
Not a bad idea -- if you are requesting assistance from others, the more
apologetic and grateful you sound for
taking up people's valuable time, the
more likely people are willing to come to
your aid. People want to feel important and
by helping you, they become a hero in your
eyes.
A suggestion about requesting help from
others: Do not behave as if you are entitled to assistance. Even if you are, the
right approach is crucial. A student who
spent a term in France said that a sure-fire
way to get people to help her was to assume a very respectful tone and say some-
Of course, sometimes, there really are problems that will require onsite staff intervention. This is especially true if you are trying
to deal with a medical, emotional, psychological, or academic
difficulties. If you are not getting
anywhere -- then please seek
assistance from the people at
your overseas site. They have
some responsibility to ensure
your well-being and the
knowledge for dealing with
emergencies and other pressing matters.
Do not call or email your family or the
Purdue Study Abroad office to ask for
instructions. We cannot help with your
emergencies unless we are on-site, and
we are not.
Feeling Right at Home
Make a genuine effort to learn as much as
possible about the host country and its
people, preferably before you leave for
your study abroad destination. This way,
your host culture will already feel familiar
when you arrive. Of more importance, the
more information you possess, the easier
you can engage your hosts in conversation. If you are in Barcelona and you just
read that Barcelona FC is battling England’s Chelsea for the Champions Cup,
your hosts will be genuinely delighted that
you share their enthusiasm for futbol!
Your expectations should be realistic remember that you are only going to be in
this new culture for a pre-determined
amount of time. Ask yourself what you can
accomplish, given the amount of time you
have in the host country.
It may be helpful to reflect on how you
deal with everyday and occasional stress
even before you depart for your program.
Being aware of how you handle anxiety
and pressure, and knowing that you can
use those same methods overseas, will
further help you deal with the physiological and psychological effects of transitional stress. Take care of yourself. Engage
in a daily exercise regimen, eat healthy,
get enough sleep, take long walks. Be
adaptable! Go out of your way to meet
people. Don't wait for them to seek you
out; make the first move yourself. Don't
worry about not speaking the language
perfectly - the fact that you are making a
genuine effort to communicate with people
in their own language is always appreciated, and you make friends quicker this way.
Value the people you will meet in the first
two weeks — they could introduce you to
others and before you know it, your circle of
new friends has grown larger!
A study abroad experience is mostly going
to be what you make of it, so do what you
can to become engaged and immersed in
your new environment.
Focus on Making New Friends
For some students, studying abroad means doing
as much international
travel in the time they
have. If you have the
same idea, then we hope
you will reconsider. While
traveling to see places
you've always wanted to
see is a commendable objective, getting
to know your host country and forming
friendships with locals and other international students will be priceless. We cer-
tainly hope your memory of
Madrid/Florence/London/,
etc. will not consist of knowing
the train station or airport
intimately.
Julie Casper, a
former study abroad participant, wrote that "Life is truly
the people you encounter and
your experiences with them."
A great study abroad experience is not merely
seeing the Eiffel Tower or the Great Wall of
China in person. The interaction you have with
people while seeing the tower or the wall is
what will make the experience even more
memorable. Make people the focal point of
your adventures. Long after the memory of
the places you visited has faded, what you
will remember are the meaningful interactions you had with classmates, flat mates
or host family, the grocer, bartender or
pastor. We guarantee, you will have fonder
memories of your host city if you associate
the place with people who have become
dear to you!
A Successful Experience
Page 47
Incorporate Quiet Moments into your Experience
We’ve known some students
who seldom injected their time
abroad with quiet moments for
contemplation. They’re always
doing something with other
people: traveling and sightseeing, partying, or hanging out
with other Americans or new
friends. While these are certainly worthy endeavors, quiet
moments by yourself are useful
too. As much as you may like
being on the go all the time,
also take some time to sit back
and reflect on events you experienced or witnessed, com-
ments made by people you met,
or unusual actions you observed.
So for you, we hope you will complement active learning with reflection. Regard these quiet moments as a time to recharge and
rejuvenate. Assess how much
you have learned thus far and
what other things you can do to
make your time abroad even
more memorable and productive.
Look back on lessons learned,
the small victories, the leaps of
faith you took and rewards that
often came with them. Think of
the future and how you can
enhance career prospects with
enriching overseas activities.
And hey, people watching is
really a lot of fun! So take the
time to sit at a café or in a park,
go to a museum by yourself,
explore a small town on your
own, eat at a restaurant patronized by locals, ride your bike
around the city. Much can be
gained from these solitary activities.
Quiet times in the park or in a café,
observing, reflecting, contemplating will
enable you to gain valuable insight about
your host country and your experiences
abroad. Really, you don’t need to be on
the go all the time.
Brace Yourself: Culture Shock Will Happen
Leaving home and traveling to
study in a new country can be a
stressful experience. Even though
it may be something you have
planned and prepared for, the extent of the change and the effects
studying abroad can have on you
may take you by surprise.
“Culture shock” is a term that refers
to the emotional and physical reaction to a new environment aggravated by the lack of the usual support
system. In most cases, it is caused
less by one single incident and
more by the gradual accumulation
of anxiety, frustration, and confusion from living in an unfamiliar
environment.
The effects result from not knowing
enough of the society’s norms and
unwritten social rules, meeting lots
of new people, learning the language and being unfamiliar with the
basics of daily living . Culture shock
also can come from the ordeal of
being separated from your friends,
family, colleagues, and other people you would normally talk to in
times of uncertainty. When familiar
sights, sounds, taste, and smells
are suddenly no longer there, you
may find yourself missing them very
much and feeling miserable in your
new surroundings.
The good news is: as far as culture shock is concerned, you really can act yourself into new ways
of thinking and feeling. If you feel
it setting in, take prompt action!
Make an effort to do something
productive like redoubling your
efforts to get to know other students in your residence hall, joining an intercambio, befriending
your host parents or a classmate,
becoming a patron at a local café,
chatting with a neighbor, participating in a traditional ceremony,
whatever you can do to get out of
your funk! No matter how bad
the situation you are in may
seem, never ever give in to the
negative feeling! Keep your chin
up! Be prepared to laugh at yourself. Accept all of your cultural
faux pas with grace and humor.
Surely, you must have witnessed
an international student committing an embarrassing cultural or
social error at Purdue. No? Can't
remember? Precisely!! If the
same thing happens to you, remember that before long, no one
will remember what you did -even if you were so totally mortified at the time.
You should inform your family
and friends about culture shock.
They need to know that this is
a common consequence of a
study abroad experience, but
one that gets resolved with
time and effort. Assure them
that it is a natural reaction and
that they should not be
alarmed if you start whining or
badmouthing your host country. Insist that they not go into
a panic if you sound distraught
and hysterical on the phone or
on Skype. Tell them in no uncertain terms that if you start
crying and making plans to
return home, that they should
tell you calmly to reassess the
situation, to ask if the feeling
may be due to culture shock,
to remind you of how far you
have come, and to advise you
hang in there and to deal with
the situation by counteracting
the negative feeling with positive action. Your family and
friends will be doing you a big
favor by being supportive and
encouraging you to keep your
chin up and to soldier on. We
promise, this feeling of utter
despair will pass and before
you know it, you have gotten
used to the ways of your new
environment and are happily
chugging along.
Culture Shock is an
interesting ephemeral
phenomenon. If it happens
to you, your countermeasures will determine
how quickly you get over
the negative feeling. Even
if it feels like the whole
world is collapsing around
you — keep your chin
up! Be determined to stick
it out and do something
productive rather than
wallow in self-pity or
frustration.
Page 48
A Successful Experience
Strategize: You can get over the Culture Shock hump
“Culture shock” describes the impact of
moving from a familiar
culture to one which is
unfamiliar. It is an
experience familiar to
anyone who has traveled abroad to live,
work, or study. It can
even affect people who
are just overseas on a
brief holiday..
Getting over culture shock, thankfully, is
not as daunting as you might think. It will
pass eventually as you become more comfortable in your new environment. The
best way to beat culture shock blues?
Take action! Be proactive in acclimating
yourself to your new environment. Anticipate and then develop coping strategies
that will help you deal with and overcome
the negative thoughts and feelings. Some
examples:
Daunting situation 1:
You’re extremely aggravated. The university system is so unlike Purdue! It’s chaotic.
Disorganized. You don’t know how things
work.
Nobody seems willing to help.
You’ve feeling very frustrated, annoyed,
angry ...
Coping Strategy:
knowledging your presence in class.
Stay away from other clueless new international students. They won’t know anymore
than you. They’re probably whining as well
and while you could vent, the situation isn’t
going to get any better.
Daunting situation 3:
Instead, befriend a local student. Locals
know the ropes. Think positive and assume your new friend would be happy to
show you how the system works. A bonus:
you also would be initiating the first contact
with students from the host culture who,
for all you know, are eager to be friends but
do not know how best to approach you.
Daunting situation 2:
Your classmates don’t seem to like you.
They don’t talk to you in class or include
you when they study together.
Coping strategy:
Hang on a minute! Have you ever done the
same to a foreign student in your classes
at Purdue? Did you go out of your way to
talk to this person? It’s not that your classmates abroad don’t like you. Chances are,
they simply aren’t sure if or how they
should approach you. So consider making
the first move. If you talk to your classmates first, they’ll most likely start ac-
You’re losing your self-confidence. You can’t
understand anybody. They speak so fast.
Your foreign language skills are so inadequate.
Coping strategy:
Relax! Give your auditory system time to get
used to the foreign language. In the meantime, you can seek a language partner with
whom you can practice your expressive
skills, sit at a café or park or watch local TV
and get used to hearing the language. Read
out loud the local paper. Smile and be approachable. The local people will most likely
give you a wide berth as you hone your language skills.
Try to anticipate other potentially challenging
or problematic situations and develop a coping strategy for each. You’ll quickly realize
that if you have a plan of action in place for
alleviating the problem rather than succumb
to the frustration, you’ll not only feel happier
and empowered, you also would have
learned something about your host culture.
Play nice: Your actions abroad will have an effect on those who will come after you!
We have been very fortunate
and extremely pleased that all of
the students we have sent
abroad have demonstrated exemplary behavior. We hope you
will continue the trend. At a
time when the image and reputation of the United States is
taking a beating, every positive
interaction between you and
your overseas host is a brownie
point not only for you personally,
but for university you represent,
and for the country in which you
are a citizen. You will be an
ambassador while you are
abroad.
On a more basic level, your actions will always have an impact
on the Purdue students who will
come after you. Remember that
our relationship with exchange
partners like UNSW, Yonsei, CBS,
the University of Bath, Tec de
Monterrey, and others, or program partners like DIS, IFSA,
SACI, IES, and CIEE will continue
long after you return to Purdue.
disregarded policy, or got in
trouble with local authorities.
We certainly would be worried
if partners started accepting
Purdue students only reluctantly, or worse, not accepting
our students at all because of
something you did during the
semester you studied abroad.
What we would like is to get messages from our partners describing an excellent group of Purdue
students, lauding their participation in the program, and assuring
us they are looking forward to the
next group.
So please be gracious, polite,
personable, reasonable, and
engaging when you are
abroad. Your exemplary behavior while studying abroad
will help determine the extent
to which subsequent groups
of Purdue students will be
perceived in a positive light.
We would be very disappointed to
hear from partners complaining
that our students misbehaved,
Your actions overseas will have
consequences for Purdue students who will come after you!
Always act with dignity and
honor. The impression you
make will go a long way toward
maintaining our good relationship with our program partners.
A Successful Experience
Page 49
Supercharging Your Study Abroad Experience
Interviewers will often ask
options, companies in
about the study abroad experiyour field, experts in
ence you listed on your reyour major area, stusume. Don’t miss the oppordent academic groups,
tunity to showcase yourself as
university and local
a valuable, internationallyevents, and a host of
informed job prospect. You
other opportunities at
made an investment in your
your host city in which
future by studying abroad – but Thou impressive, it is not you could be involved.
trumpeting this fact is not enough to simply list that you Isolate a few that are
enough. Instead, you must have studied abroad on your interesting, feasible
resume. You’ve got to know
plan how to best highlight rele- how to make yourself stand and can be accomvant aspects of your study out even more.
plished within a reaabroad experience on your
sonable time frame.
resume and during the job interview.
Then commit to completing whatever task
or tasks you set out to do.
Patricia Garrott, former associate director of
Purdue’s Center for Career Opportunities Second, keep a list of notable accomplish(CCO), observed that quite a few returned ments during your time abroad. Since
study abroad students who later interview there will be many memorable experiences
for jobs are not as prepared as they should and significant victories during a student’s
be. They don’t seem to be aware how to time abroad, it is not surprising that some
seize the opportunity to demonstrate to pro- outcomes, experiences or situations, espespective employers that they are highly de- cially those that happen early on, could be
sirable because of their international experi- forgotten. And what if it’s one that could
ence. Rather than simply regaling the inter- prove really impressive for one particular
viewer with their overseas travel adventures, employer. This is why it is advisable to
the interviewee should be prepared to ex- keep a list or diary of what you’ve done
pand the conversation while subtly ensuring and other notable facts and refer to them
that he or she can mention or describe the when planning your interview strategy and
unique skills learned in and out of class, cite revising your resume. The latter should list
examples of how they successfully dealt with the relevant courses you took abroad, the
challenges during their time living in another assignments you completed or the jobcountry, demonstrate how they adapted to specific knowledge you gained. Include
different cultural norms, succeeded under a any organizations you joined, the local
different academic system, or interacted events or volunteer groups in which you
with people who spoke a different language. participated, or the special projects you
initiated. In short: make explicit how your
The following suggestions will go a long way
overseas study experience was more than
toward enhancing your professional credenjust taking courses.
tials and making sure you stand out during
your job search:
Finally, tie in your study abroad experience
with common interview questions. ComFirst, before leaving for your overseas site,
mon interview questions include asking
plan on completing a few extracurricular
the interviewee to describe how he or she
tasks or projects that can enhance the
is able to:
“International Education” or “International
Experience” section of your resume. Again,
 solve problems creatively
it is not enough to simply list that you have
 accept responsibility
studied abroad on the resume. You have to
have something concrete to market to pro communicate across cultures
spective employers. So months or weeks
 appreciate diversity
prior to departure, investigate educational,
work, volunteer, cultural, and social opportu take risks
nities at your destination. Look into volun learn quickly
teer organizations, research work, internship

achieve goals despite obstacles

handle difficulties and stress

manage, organize, and multi-task

adapt to new environments and negotiate transitions

learn through listening, observing, and
making mistakes
Before the interview, anticipate likely jobrelated interview questions, then rehearse
and be ready with specific examples and
anecdotes to showcase the skills and personal attributes you honed while you were studying abroad. At the interview, don’t leave it to
the interviewer to make the connections between what you listed on your resume and
why you should be considered for the position. Describe the skills or expertise you
used or learned. Illuminate how these relate
to the job for which you are applying. Emphasize the intercultural nature of these experiences and how your cross-cultural competence will be an asset to the company. Enumerate the specific contributions you can
make to the company. In short, portray yourself as a highly coveted job prospect.
So Bon Voyage! We look forward to meeting
you after your term abroad and hearing about
the exciting, educational, and culturallyenriching experiences that either came your
way serendipitously or intentionally after
reading this inspiring guidebook :-).
Take advantage of this
terrific opportunity to impress an interviewer!
Page 50
A Successful Experience
THERE AND BACK AGAIN
You’re b-a-a-c-k!! The good news is:
you’ve arrived home to the warm embrace
of family and friends. The bad news is:
you will most likely deal with conflicting
feelings of being happy to be home, yet
longing for your host country, the friends
you made, and the sense of adventure
you felt while studying abroad. You may
even feel like you are on a roller coaster— one minute excited to be home and proud to share all you've learned, and
the next bored or frustrated and feeling out of sync with
those people who have always been closest to you. Having
ups and downs is common, and whether you see
your glass as half-full or half-empty may depend
on whether you are having a good day or a bad
day. Relax -- this feeling too will pass and in no
time, what you will focus on will be to build on
your study abroad experience and use it to speak
out and encourage other Purdue students to
study abroad, to use the new knowledge and
unique experience you’ve had to liven up your remaining
classes at the university, and enhance your career potential
by further honing the interpersonal and communication skills
you learned overseas.
Re-entry Challenges
Upon
returning
home, you will
probably
experience stress similar
to how you felt
during your first
days or weeks overseas.
“Reverse
culture shock” is
most pronounced
in those who expect everything at home to have stayed
the same. You must realize that some
time has passed since you left, and that
standards of living, the political climate,
and even family relationships may have
changed. You have grown during your
time overseas and your family and
friends have grown too. You may feel
uncomfortable with what once were familiar circumstances, and may experience subtle forms of rejection if family
and friends show less interest in your
adventures than you had hoped. In general, you may go through some or all of
the following situations:
There Are Not Enough Words to Describe You Whole Study Abroad Experience
When given a chance to explain the
sights you saw and feelings you had
while abroad, it may be a bit frustrating
to relay them coherently. It is difficult to
convey this kind of experience to people
who do not have similar frames of reference or travel backgrounds, no matter
how sympathetic they are as listeners.
You can tell people about your trip, but
you may fail to make them understand
exactly how or why you felt a particular
way. It's okay – regard your experience as
your special memory and for all you know,
you may encourage others to go overseas
too since your excitement is palpable.
Boredom
After all the newness and stimulation of
your time abroad, a return to family,
friends, and old routines (however nice
and comforting) can seem very dull. It is
natural to miss the excitement and challenges that characterize study in a foreign
country, but it is up to you to find ways to
overcome such negative reactions.
"No One Wants To Hear About It"
One thing you can count on upon your
return: no one will be as interested in
hearing about your adventures and triumphs as you will be in sharing those
experiences. This is not a rejection of you
or your achievements, but simply the fact
that once others have heard the highlights, they won’t be as interested in the
details. Be realistic in your expectations
of how fascinating your journey is going to
be for everyone else. And if they ask for
details, remember that not everything
must be shared at once — ration out your
juicy tidbits.
Reverse Homesickness
Just as you probably missed home for
awhile after going abroad, you may miss
the people, places, and things that you
grew accustomed to in your host country.
While writing letters or telephoning can
reduce reverse homesickness, feelings of
loss are an integral part of international
sojourns and must be anticipated and
accepted as a natural result.
Relationships Have Changed
It is inevitable that when you return, you
will notice that some relationships with
friends and family will have changed. Just
as you have altered some of your ideas
and attitudes while abroad, the people at
home are likely to have experienced
changes themselves. These changes may
be positive or negative but expecting that
no change will have occurred is unrealistic. The best preparation is flexibility,
openness, minimal preconceptions, and
tempered optimism.
People See the "Wrong" Changes
Sometimes people may concentrate on
small alterations in your behavior or ideas, and seem threatened or upset by
them. Others may ascribe any unfamiliar
traits to the influence of your time abroad.
These incidents may be motivated by
complex emotions: jealousy, fear, or feel-
A Successful Experience
Page 51
… continued Re-entry Challenges
ings of superiority or inferiority. To minimize these incidents, it is necessary to
monitor yourself and be aware of the reactions of those around you, especially in the
first few weeks following your return. This
phase usually passes quickly if you do
nothing to confirm their stereotypes.
Feelings of Alienation / Seeing Home with
Critical Eyes
Sometimes the reality of being home is not
exactly what you had anticipated. It is natural to feel some alienation when daily life
is less enjoyable than you remember. You
may also see faults you never noticed before, or even become critical of everything.
These feelings are a result of learning. Not
only have you learned firsthand about other
countries and customs, but you may have
even grown used to them. Sometimes it’s
hard to go home. These mental comparisons are fine, but keep them to yourself
until you regain both your cultural balance
and perspective.
Inability to Apply New Knowledge and
Skills
Returnees are often frustrated by the lack
of opportunities to apply their new social,
linguistic and practical skills. While adjusting back to your old surroundings, join
an international awareness group, follow
current events from your host country or
continue studying your favorite foreign
language. You must be creative in finding
outlets for your new interests and talents.
Loss of Experiences
Returned students often worry that they
will lose the memories of their unique
international experience. The easiest way
to keep your memories vivid is to stay involved. Maintain your contacts. Talk to
people who have had similar experiences.
Practice your skills. Remember and honor
both your hard work and the fun you had
while abroad!
If you find yourself going through the situations described above, then take action!
Find other returned students with whom to
share concerns and memories, and become involved with Purdue’s international
community. Let awareness be your ally: if
you anticipate the strains of re-entry, you
will minimize its impact and severity. The
next section offers more suggestions on
what you can do to avoid “reverse culture
shock” and to keep your study abroad experience relevant.
Continuing your Study Abroad Experience
Now that you have
returned to the
U.S. and Purdue,
there are many
opportunities
to
share the interests
and skills you
gained
while
abroad! The Study
Abroad Office organizes callouts, information tables, orientation meetings, and others for prospective Study Abroad participants. Be creative in applying what you learned overseas
so your growth can continue.
Email studyabroad@purdue.edu with
questions about the following opportunities:
 Volunteer to share your story with pro-
spective SA students at the annual fall
or spring Study Abroad Fair or various
info sessions.
 Apply to become a Study Abroad Am-
bassador and serve as liaison between
Programs for Study Abroad and students and faculty in your academic
unit.
 Join PASSPORT: a social organization for
returned Purdue study abroad students
and exchange students spending the
academic year or semester at Purdue.
Other Ideas:
 Pass it on!
Encourage your friends to
study abroad. Wouldn’t it be great if your
BFF will “get you” even more since he or
she also will have the same exhilarating
experience of spreading their wings and
soaring?!?
 Talk with students from your program or
others who have studied abroad.
 Create a website about your experiences.
 Get involved with International Awareness
and International Education Weeks.
 Talk about your experience to clubs and
groups, including adults and children.
 Work with international student group
activities on campus.
 Volunteer at the annual West Lafayette
Global Fest celebration during Labor Day
weekend.
 Join international organizations and clubs
like the Purdue International Student
Alliance (PISA) and other multicultural groups on campus.
 Continue your foreign language train-
ing or take courses with an international focus.
 Write about your experiences for the
Purdue Exponent.
 Continue studying your host country
by taking related courses, reading
international papers, viewing films
and videos, writing research papers,
etc.
 Volunteer to work in the community
or on campus. Help organizations
that support community service and
development. Look for groups working with immigrants, refugees, or the
aged that can use your skills of listening, patience and empathy.
 Start thinking about when and how
you’ll return to your host country.
Some students have applied for
Fulbright Scholarships to study and
conduct research in the host country, have found employment possibil-
Page 52
A Successful Experience
...continued
ities during program, have joined the U.S.
Peace Corps, or have just returned to visit
their host family and friends.
 Serve as a buddy for an international ex-
change student. Each semester, the Study
Abroad Office welcomes several students
from our institutional partners. You must
remember what it was like the first week at
your host university, and how great it would
have been if you had somebody who can
show you the ropes. Here’s your chance to
be that somebody for a new student. Contact your Purdue Study Abroad advisor for
information.
 The Office of International Students and
Scholars (ISS) also has an International
Friendship Program. Contact ISS for more
information.
 Seek the support of fellow returned students.
Each semester the Study Abroad Office hosts
a reception for returned students. The reception offers returned students like you the
chance to talk about your experiences with
like-minded peers. You can chat with other students about how you felt before you
left, what kind of changes you experienced
while abroad, how you feel now, and your
future plans. An invitation for this fun
event will be emailed to you in early January and early August.
 Recruit other Purdue students to study
abroad! Hey, after a few months, your
friends and family won’t want to hear
about your Seville, Sydney, Singapore, or
Sussex stories anymore. So seek out fresh
ears! You never know – you may be directly responsible for another student having
the experience of a lifetime!
Do not go where the path
may lead; go instead where
there is no path and leave a
trail.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Your study abroad experience does not have
to stop when you board that plane for the
flight home. There’s much you can do right
here at Purdue to put into words and action
everything you learned when you spent a
term abroad.
Handling the “How was Study Abroad?” Question
Study abroad consumed
four months to a year of
your life. You may have
made a completely new
set of friends, lived with
a new family, traveled
on weekends, survived
communicating in a new language, tried
foods you hadn’t known existed, and
grown in ways you hadn’t expected. And
now everybody—your uncle, an old professor, a high school Facebook friend
you haven’t talked to in person for at
least three years—wants to know, simply,
“How was study abroad?” Looking for a
response that can squeeze the complexity of your experience into a short smalltalk point can be tricky. Try these approaches instead:
1. Be honest. Explain that your time
studying abroad was a lot like your life at
home—you had good days, bad days,
exciting days, and stressful
days. It wasn’t a vacation, and
it would be impossible to sum it
up as if it were.
2. Get specific. Ask the inquirer
to narrow down his or her question. Say something like, “I was there
for four months [or a year]. There were
so many different aspects of my experience. Is there anything in particular
that you’re curious about?”
3. Set up another time to talk. Talking
about your experience can be a great
way to deal with reverse culture shock
and re-kindle the friendships you left
at home while you were abroad. Try to
schedule a coffee or lunch date with a
friend to catch up. You’ll have enough
time to explain your experience, and
he or she can better understand how
your time abroad may have affected
you.
4. Settle for the spiel. Sometimes
you just can’t do your experience
justice. It helps to have a spiel prepared for the many questions you’ll
get about study abroad, but that
doesn’t mean you have to settle for
an “it was great.” Try mentioning a
few of your major activities abroad.
Was there something you learned
that was surprising? How does it feel
to be back? People ask about study
abroad because they think it’s interesting. Don’t disappoint them. Even
if you can only mention a point or
two, your friends, family—and yes,
even your Facebook friends—can
still learn from your time abroad if
you’re willing to share.
Sarah Kessler
Abroad View Magazine
Office of Programs
for Study Abroad
We travel initially to lose ourselves; and we travel next to find
ourselves. We travel to open our
hearts and eyes and learn more
about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We
travel to bring what little we can,
in our ignorance and knowledge,
to those parts of the globe where
riches are differently dispersed.
And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again – to slow
time down and get taken in, and
to fall in love once more.”
155 S. Grant Street
Young Hall Room 105
West Lafayette, IN 47907
U.S.A.
Phone: (765) 494-2383
Fax: (765) 496-1989
E-mail: studyabroad@purdue.edu
~ Pico Iyer, Why we Travel
Savvy Student’s Guide
Revised Edition
September 2015
The contents of this handbook are current to the best of our knowledge. Any information to the
contrary is inadvertent and should be brought to the attention of the Study Abroad staff.
We welcome your contributions! Please send corrections, comments, updates, or content suggestions to studyabroad@purdue.edu.